Growing Up
by Piper Elizabeth
Summary: Annabeth and Percy spend the summer before their senior year at Camp Half-Blood, happily together as a couple. But when Annabeth gets an opportunity she can't resist and leaves Percy behind, how will our two favorite half-bloods cope? (Set about a year after the end of The Last Olympian) Percabeth
1. Chapter 1 - I Soak Annabeth

**Title:** Growing Up

**Rating:** T – mild language and some normal teenage behavior

**Disclaimer:** Percy Jackson and its affiliated characters do not belong to me. I mean no copyright infringement. I only use them as a means to de-stress myself.

**Summary:** Annabeth and Percy spend the summer before their senior year at Camp Half-Blood, happily together as a couple. But when Annabeth gets an opportunity she can't resist and leaves Percy behind, how will our two favorite half-bloods cope? (Set about a year after the end of The Last Olympian) Percabeth

**Spoilers: **All of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians Books (not including Heroes of Olympus)

**Chapter 1 – I Soak Annabeth**

I saw her at the edge of the wooden pier that stretched out to the middle of the lake. She was lying on her stomach, leaning on her elbows. Her hair was in a messy ponytail. She had on her usual orange Camp Half-Blood T-Shirt and Jean shorts. She looked relaxed even though she had her knife strapped around her waist. She didn't go anywhere without that.

A book was open in front of Annabeth. She looked completely enthralled. I watched as she flipped a page. From where I was standing, I couldn't see what she was reading, but I didn't need to see to know what it was. It was most definitely a book about architecture. And although I couldn't see her eyes either, I also knew that they would be gleaming a bright gray. It's what happened every time Annabeth even so much as thought about architecture. And, I happened to notice, recently her eyes usually took on the same color when she was looking at me. Unless she was angry with me, of course.

I stood for a few seconds, just watching her. I would be too embarrassed to admit out loud just how often I found myself staring at her. In the last year or two, I noticed it more and more. Sometimes I would just watch her from the other side of the room. Or even when she was talking to me, I would sometimes tune out what she was saying and just stare at her features. A few times she caught me, but I always managed to brush it off. But there I was again, ogling at her like some stalker from a few yards away. She was hard not to stare at. She was beautiful. And I should know. I had met Aphrodite, Calypso, and dozens of other godly creatures whose main goal was to be beautiful. But Annabeth blew them all out of the water with her natural beauty. And the best part was, she didn't even know how beautiful she was.

I walked closer to the dock. Hearing the sound of my footsteps, she turned around to look. Annabeth always had good instincts. After fighting monsters for years, you get a sixth sense of when anyone or anything is trying to sneak up on you. She smiled when she saw me, which sent a little tingle through my body. I loved her smile.

That's when I decided I was in the mood for a swim and maybe a little showing off. I raced down the pier at full speed.

"Percy, what are you…" I could hear Annabeth saying. But before she could finish her sentence, I had launched myself into the air, off the end of the pier. I did a perfect cannonball into the lake, creating a large splash. Normally I would have stayed down in the water a little longer, a trick that Annabeth knew I was more than capable of, but I wanted to see her so I popped back up to the surface. Annabeth was holding her book between two fingers. It was dripping wet. As was her orange T-Shirt. I'm not going to lie, I didn't mind that very much, but I did mind the scowl she had on her face.

"Percy Jackson!" She yelled sternly. "You are incorrigible!"

Even though she was yelling at me, I could tell she was kidding around with me. At least, I think she was kidding. Plus, I didn't quite know what that word meant. And I definitely would never have been able to spell it.

"Let me help you," I said, barely needing to tread water. Being the son the sea god meant I could basically be still in the water and float without working very hard.

I swam up to the edge of the dock and waved my hand in front of the book. Immediately, it dried as if it had never been wet in the first place. This was a trick it had taken me a long time to acquire, but it had proven to be a pretty useful skill. And it was fun to show off just a little.

Annabeth ran her hand through her wet hair and looked down at her wet shirt. When she noticed me staring at her, her soaked shirt hugging her in all of the right places, I blushed before waving my hands and drying her too.

"Boys," she mumbled, sitting with her legs dangling over the edge of the dock.

"Come on, you're not really mad at me, are you?"

She rolled her eyes. I reached up and put my hand on her knee. She placed her hand over mind. As our fingers intertwined together, a smile crept on her face and I knew I had her.

"What are you doing here anyway?" She asked. "I thought you were dueling with Harry."

I shrugged, not willing to tell her that I had told Harry I wasn't interested. Dueling could be a lot of fun, but so could hanging out with your girlfriend.

"I just wasn't feeling it today," I replied. "So I thought I'd come look for you."

"Well, you sure know how to make an entrance."

"I've missed you," I admitted.

"We saw each other at breakfast."

"Yeah, but you were with the other Athena kids."

I looked into her eyes. As I expected, they were that dreamy gray color. I could get lost in her eyes forever.

Maybe this is the part where I should tell you how Annabeth and I ended up here in the first place. So, when we first met, Annabeth and I were barely friends. I was twelve years old and just finishing the 6th grade when I learned I was a half-blood, you know, half god and half mortal. When I came to Camp Half-Blood, Annabeth was basically the first person I met. She nursed me back to health after I had an unfortunate run-in with a Minotaur. When I first saw her, I thought she was beautiful. She told me I drooled in my sleep. Not quite the best first impression a guy wants to make. But back then we were way more focused on saving the world than anything romantic. After a bunch of quests during which time Annabeth and I saved each other's lives like a million times, I started to see her a little differently. It was the small things at first. You know, like I noticed the way the sun shone on her blond hair, making it almost look like it was glowing. I noticed that I would get tongue-tied just trying to talk to her, which is difficult when you rely on each other to keep each other safe. And I started wanting to be close to her. You know, like, physically close. Not that I have very many, but I'm pretty sure friends aren't interested in touching each other like all the time.

It was the day I turned sixteen that sort of changed everything for me and Annabeth. After we both nearly died battling Cronos and his monsters to save Olympus and New York City, we retreated to camp. That's when she kissed me. Like, really kissed me. Not just some small peck on the cheek or the lips or anything. I know, being the guy I probably should have made the first move, but Annabeth certainly doesn't believe in gender roles and I'm glad. I don't know if I ever would have plucked up the courage to actually kiss her. But it was like the best kiss ever. Except for maybe the underwater one after that. And the one in The Big House after that and the one when we snuck behind my cabin and…

Anyway, to sum things up, Annabeth and I had been going out since then. We didn't get to spend as much time together during the school year as we would have liked since we went to two different schools, but the schools were both in Manhattan so we did our best with seeing each other on the weekends and things. And of course ever since we got back to camp for the summer two weeks ago, we'd been spending tons of time together. It's been almost a full year since that kiss on my birthday and it's been great. I mean, sure, we still have disagreements every once and a while and the other campers sometimes make fun of us, but it's all worth it. Because Annabeth is…

"What are you staring at me?" Annabeth asked, knocking me out of my daydream.

Darn it. I hadn't meant to stare at her. It was just so easy to get lost in her eyes.

"I...I…" I stammered. "You're beautiful."

I could see the blush creeping onto her cheeks. Even though I had told Annabeth I thought she was beautiful before, it felt like every time I said it to her, it was the first time.

"You think you're such a smooth talker, Percy Jackson."

"That's because I am," I said.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

I burst out of the water and kissed her. I have to admit that one perk of having a girlfriend is that you get to kiss them pretty much whenever you want. Unless she's mad at me. And if there's one thing I liked better than spending time with Annabeth, it was kissing Annabeth.

Somehow I managed to sit down on the dock beside her without breaking the kiss. When it was over, Annabeth leaned her head on my shoulder.

"It's unfair."

"What is?" I asked.

"That you're bone dry."

I looked down at my own clothes. She was right. There wasn't a drop of water on me.  
"Just another perk of…"

"Being the son of the sea god," Annabeth finished, mocking me. I put my arm around her shoulder. "What do you think they're doing right now?"

"Who?" I asked.

"My mom and your dad."

This was a little game Annabeth and I liked to play. Since we barely knew anything about our godly parents and had only ever seen them a few times, we liked to think about what they were doing. Sometimes we would make up these crazy, ridiculous stories about them. And sometimes we were really just curious.

"Maybe they're bowling," I suggested.

She raised an eyebrow and laughed. "Do you think there's a bowling alley at Mount Olympus?"

I shrugged. "Maybe."

"Or maybe they're going out for frozen yogurt," Annabeth joked.

"With triton shaped sprinkles," I added.

"And lots of hot fudge."

I looked over at Annabeth. "Hot fudge?"

"What? It's my favorite ice cream topping. My dad doesn't like it so I figured my mom must."

I understood Annabeth's longing to feel in some way connected to her mom. Most half-bloods wanted to know more about their parents. And we were some of the lucky ones who had actually met our parents. Even though the gods had promised me they would do a better job of claiming their children, it still was difficult not really knowing your parent.

"I bet your mom is currently yelling at my dad because she disapproves that one of her children is fraternizing with his son," I said.

"Is that what we're doing? Fraternizing?" Annabeth asked with a chuckle.

"Oh, we're going to be doing a whole lot more than that."

As I leaned in to kiss her again, a crack of lighting appeared over the lake. It was rare that Camp Half Blood had any kind of weather event. The lighting could only mean that the gods were watching and possibly listening.

"Well, let's give them something to talk about," Annabeth suggested.

I looked over at her just as her lips crashed into mine. Have I mentioned just how much I enjoy kissing Annabeth? It was as if all of the rational thought in my head disappeared and all I could think about was the touch of her lips and taking in as much of her as I could. She tasted like peppermint and smelled like a mixture of honey and the sweetest flower you've ever smelled. She was perfect.

"Annabeth Chase!" I heard someone yell.

Annabeth and I broke apart instantly. Although we weren't officially breaking any rules, Chiron had mentioned to us on more than one occasion that he didn't approve of us going off all alone and 'acting like teenagers' and doing 'things that teenagers do' as he put it. I meant no disrespect for Chiron, but after everything we had been through, Annabeth and I deserved to go off as much as we wanted and just act like teenagers.

We both turned around to see who had yelled her name. It was a camper who had arrived at camp a year earlier. She was a daughter of Iris, one of the minor gods. She was the first one in the new cabin that had been built in honor of her mother. She clearly was embarrassed at finding us practically making out on the dock. I didn't know her name, but I knew that she often worked in the Big House with Chiron, often delivering messages and running errands. She wasn't much of a fighter, but she was very organized.

"Yes?" Annabeth asked, standing up.

The girl stayed at the end of the pier as if she were afraid of getting any closer.

"Chiron wants to see you," the girl said.

"Ok, thanks Ashley."

The girl ran off like she was being chased by a monster. And trust me, I know what that's like.

"What's that all about?" I asked.

Annabeth shrugged. "I don't know, but I guess I better go find out." She squeezed my hand.

"See you tonight at dinner?" I asked her.

She nodded. "And don't forget about the bonfire," she added.

"I wouldn't miss it."

I watched her walk down the pier and I have to admit, it wasn't a bad view at all.

Author's Note: Wow, it's been a long time since I've written a Percy Jackson story. Recently I had the opportunity to see The Lighting Thief: A Percy Jackson Musical (which was phenomenal) and it reminded me of how much I love this series. I started listening to all of the books on audiobook and got sucked in all over again. That inspired me to want to start writing again, so here it is. I also got the inspiration for this chapter from some artwork I recently purchased by Viria. If you haven't seen her work, check it out on Society 6. Anyway, this story will probably be about 15 chapters. I hope you liked it! There's a lot more Percabeth to come!


	2. Chapter 2 - Chiron Ruins My Night

**Chapter 2 – Chiron Ruins My Night**

At dinnertime, I walked into the dining hall, scanning the faces of the campers for Annabeth. She wasn't at the Athena table and she wasn't standing in line to get food. I hopped into the line behind some young campers. After getting my usual, I walked over to the middle of the room where the fire was burning inside the bronze brazier. Without much of a thought, I dumped a little bit of my food into the fire. Some nights I was more interested in sacrificing to the gods. Tonight was not one of those nights. I made my way to my table and sat down alone. I looked around for Annabeth again, but still couldn't find her. I wondered what she and Chiron had to talk about. She had left to talk to him more than two hours before. What could they possibly have to talk about?

I ordered a blue margarita to appear in my cup, non-alcoholic of course. The icy blue liquid appeared and I took a drink. I thought about my mother. Blue food always made me think about my mother. I hoped whatever she was doing, she was safe and happy.

"I hope you enjoyed your time with Annabeth," Harry said, stopping next to my table with his tray full of food. "Because next time we actually have a duel, I'm going to whip your butt."

I could tell that Harry was joking. He and I got along pretty well. I didn't have many people at camp I could truly call a friend, but Harry was one of them. Son of Hephaestus, he was a cool guy from Boston who had a New England attitude with the accent to match. He was a year younger than me, but still pretty cool. Plus he was really good at not just making swords, but using them as well. He was one of the only people at camp who could even come close to possibly beating me. (Except Annabeth of course. She was pretty lethal with her knife.) What Harry lacked in technical skill, he made up for in brute strength

"In your dreams," I replied with a smirk.

Harry kept walking to his table. The usual sounds of chatting and kids eating filled the dining hall. Since the rules of the camp were that you ate with your cabin-mates and them only, I was used to eating alone so the isolation didn't usually bother me. At the beginning of the summer I had asked Chiron if Annabeth and I could eat together. I thought he might budge, but he stood fast. It was an ancient tradition and camp loved ancient traditions.

For some reason, eating alone just then did bother me. Maybe if I could just see Annabeth and know she was alright, I would feel better. I mean, I knew nothing bad could happen to her in camp. Well, I was pretty positive anyway. And I knew that Annabeth could take care of herself anyway, but when you've been close to death as many times as I have, it's hard to shake the feeling that something could go wrong at any minute.

After eating quickly, I headed back to my cabin. As always, I was the only person to stay in the cabin. The nice thing was I never had to listen to anyone snoring or talking in their sleep. Plus, I got to spread my belongings out pretty much everywhere. But it could get lonely sometimes, too. And just like at dinner, I was feeling the loneliness.

I sat on the edge of the bed and took out a book that was written in Ancient Greek. It was some adventure story that a camper had let me borrow months ago. I opened it, but didn't actually read it. Reading in Ancient Greek was much easier than reading in English, due to my dyslexia, but reading still wasn't my favorite hobby no matter what language it was in.  
At some point I must have closed my eyes and dozed off because the next thing I knew, a horn was trumpeting, signaling the start of the bonfire. I wiped the sleep from my eyes and got out of bed. When I stepped out of my cabin, I noticed it had grown dark. I guess I had napped longer than I realized. Along with other campers, I made my way to the bonfire. When I arrived, kids were already sitting around on up-turned logs and camp chairs around the golden blaze. The fire was high, over ten feet. Clearly, the kids around the campfire were in a good mood. As more campers came, the fire would just grow higher. I looked around for Annabeth, but didn't see her.

I chose to sit on a long log near the back. I could still feel the fire's warm glow, but I didn't feel the need to be right on top of it. A few of the Apollo campers started singing while others handed out sticks to toast marshmallows for s'mores.

"Is this seat taken, Seaweed Brain?" A familiar voice asked.

I turned to see Annabeth behind me.

"Actually, it's for a pretty blond girl," I replied. "Have you seen her?"

"No, but I'm sure she won't mind if I sit down for a while."

She smirked and climbed over the log. She sat down beside me, our arms touching.

"Where were you?" I asked Annabeth.

"Talking to Chiron."

"All this time?" I wondered. It had been hours since Annabeth and I had parted at the lake. "Is everything ok?"  
She nodded. "Everything's fine."

"What were you talking about?"  
"My future."

"Like a prophecy?" I asked, suddenly concerned.

"Not quite," she answered.

I could tell she was avoiding my question, but I didn't know why.

"Annabeth, what…"

I was interrupted by Chiron's booming voice. He had galloped to the middle of the campfire circle and stood just next to the flames. My first day at camp, it took me a while to get used to the fact that my old history teacher was actually a centaur, half man and half horse. But, after years at Camp Half-Blood, seeing a man with the body of a horse was nothing special. Very few things surprised me anymore.

"Good evening half-bloods!" Chiron exclaimed. "I have a special announcement to make."  
Everyone immediately stopped chattering and all turned to look at Chiron. It wasn't often he made camp announcement. Whatever he was about to say was either very, very good or very, very bad.

"To celebrate another five-hundred years as a camp that safely harbors half-bloods, we will be having our Quincentennial dance!"

A cheer erupted, mostly from the girls. The fire immediately rose another ten feet and turned a brilliant shade of shimmering gold. Clearly everyone was thrilled by Chiron's news.

"Quincentennial?" I asked Annabeth who was smiling, but wasn't screaming like so many of the other girls.

"Every five-hundred years, the camp holds a fancy dance," she explained. "Current campers and alumni are invited."

"How is it that you know everything?" I wondered out loud, not for the first time. Despite the fact that reading was difficult for her, too, Annabeth seemed to be an endless book of knowledge.

"I've been at camp a long time, Percy. You hear things."

"Is that what you and Chiron were talking about? The dance?"

"Not quite, although he did mention it to me."

"Listen up!" Chiron announced, trying to get everyone paying attention again. Amazingly, everyone did calm down. "As is customary, we will be choosing the quincentennial king and queen of the dance. Voting ballots will be passed around at the end of this week. The king and queen will be announced at the dance. The dance will be in ten days time. Now, enjoy this beautiful night, young half-bloods!"

The campers all clapped and began talking amongst themselves. I could hear a group of girls talking about what dresses they were going to wear while some of the guys started frantically discussing who they would take to the dance.

"Well, this sounds lame," I said to Annabeth.

"It's tradition, Percy."

"Who wants to get all dressed up and go to some stupid dance? I mean, camp is supposed to be about learning sword fighting and skills and…"

"Some people don't think it's stupid," Annabeth said quietly.

I turned to her. It took all of my will power not for my jaw to drop.

"You're really interested in going to a dance?" I asked, surprised.

"I'm just saying that some people might like it."

"What's to like about it?"

"It's tradition!" She exclaimed.

"That doesn't mean we have to like it."

"What is so wrong with wanting to get dressed up and spend some time with friends at camp?"

"Nothing, I just don't see why it has to be a big deal."

"Then I guess I won't be seeing you there," Annabeth stated.

With that, she stood up to go talk to the other girls from her Athena cabin. I rolled my eyes and walked off. Maybe I was being a little harsh. I mean, it could be fun. But I didn't see what the big deal was. I could hear a group of girls squealing in excitement behind me. What was it with girls and dances anyway?

The next morning, I walked out to the climbing wall. I was in the mood to just let off some steam. Walking past the mess hall, I decided to skip breakfast. I did, however, see some new artwork hanging up from some of the columns that were around the mess hall. Ok, so maybe artwork isn't the right word. They were posters. Giant posters that the campers had made. Although my dyslexia often got the better of me, I was able to figure out that the posters were campaign posters for the king and queen of the dance. It looked to me like almost every single one of the older campers from each cabin were competing. Chiron had just announced the dance last night. Had nobody slept?

I picked up a flyer that had fallen on the ground. It had a hand drawn picture of Clarisse and said 'Vote for Me, Or Else.' Leave it to Clarisse to try to become queen by threatening people. I crumpled the paper up and threw it in a nearby garbage can.

As I made my way to the climbing wall, a few people said hello to me. I said hello back, but I wasn't in the mood to talk. I did look around a few times for Annabeth, but didn't see her. I wanted to talk to her about our little disagreement the night before. When I got to the Climbing Wall, I saw her near the top. I watched as she expertly climbed the last few feet before hitting the top. With her mission completed, Annabeth made quick work of getting back to the bottom. I was right there to greet her.

"Hey Wise Girl," I said, trying to sound cooler than I actually was and hoping that she had forgotten our little fight from the night before.

"Hey," she said. Her greeting was lackluster, like she wasn't actually that thrilled to see me.

"Want to race?" I challenged. If there was one thing that could make Annabeth happy, it was the chance to beat me at something. I was a good climber, but so was Annabeth.

"No thanks. I've got to be at the stables in a little while to help with flying lessons for some of the newer campers."

I stepped closer to her and was about to take her hand and apologize for not being more excited about the dance (although, to be honest, I didn't know what exactly I was apologizing for), when a boy from Demeter's cabin walked by and smiled at Annabeth.

"Did you think about it?" He asked her, pretty much ignoring the fact that I was standing there talking to her.

"I haven't made up my mind yet," she replied.

"We could have a good time."

If I didn't know any better, I would swear I saw Annabeth blush. Then she got that look in her eyes that usually was reserved for me. Whatever was going on, I didn't like it.

"I'll talk to you later, Josh," Annabeth said.

Josh winked at her before heading over to start climbing the wall. I noticed he rolled his short sleeves up at his shoulder to show off his muscles. The dude was pretty muscular. And Annabeth was actually staring at him.

"What was that about?" I asked Annabeth, jumping in front of her to block her view of Josh.

"Nothing," she responded quickly, side stepping me and heading away from the wall.

I kept pace beside her. "He said you two could have a good time. A good time at what?"

"The dance, Percy. We could have a good time at the dance."

"Why would you and Josh have a good time at the dance?" I asked, getting more confused by the second. Clearly, I was missing something.

She stopped in her tracks, a sure sign of irritation.

"He asked me to the dance, ok?"

"Wait...what?"

"At the campfire last night, after you left, Josh asked me to the dance."

"Why would he do that?"

She took a deep breath. "Is it so hard to believe that someone might want to spend time with me and be my date to the dance?"  
"Of course not. I just mean...he knows we're together. What makes him think he can ask you to the dance?"

"Are we?" She questioned.

"Are we what?"

"Together?"

I looked at her blankly. I was pretty sure in that moment that I had walked into one of those old episodes of that show The Twilight Zone that my mom liked. Hadn't Annabeth and I just spent the last year together?

"I thought so," I said.

"Well, you never asked. And it's not like you asked me to the dance. As matter of fact, you were the one who thought the dance was dumb. Maybe I'd rather go with someone who actually wants to go with me."

"I never said I don't want to go with you," I insisted.

"Then what do you want, Percy?"

"I want to know how we got into this fight in the first place," I said honestly. This whole thing was being blown way out of proportion.

"If you don't know that, then I don't know what we're doing."

She stormed off. I was left behind, having no idea what had just happened.

Author's Note: Thank you for reading! Even though I just listened to all of the Percy Jackson books in the last two months, I have to thank the Riordan Wiki (Fandom) for being my go-to spot to fill in some details I might have forgotten. Please take a moment and review if you liked it or if you have constructive criticism. I always enjoy hearing what people think!


	3. Chapter 3 - I Learn About Promposals

**Chapter 3 – I Learn About Promposals**

I kicked some rocks on my way back to my cabin. How did things get so messed up? All I wanted to do was climb the climbing wall and I ended up in another fight with my girlfriend. I mean, she was my girlfriend...wasn't she? Sure, we had never really used those words with each other and I guess I never did ask her to officially be my girlfriend, but everyone in camp knew we were together. We were practically inseparable. And so what if I didn't want to go to some stupid dance? Who wants to stand around wearing uncomfortable clothes when you could be sword fighting or riding a pegasus? But, as much as I didn't want to go, I definitely didn't want Annabeth going with Josh. Just the thought of them dancing together with his hand on her waist or even him just standing so close to her made my blood boil. The problem is, I didn't know how to fix what I had broken.

"What do you have against rocks?"

I looked up from the ground and saw my best friend Grover standing against a tree, his arms folded across his chest. His dark, curly hair had grown out, but his horns were still visible. I think they had grown again since the last time I had seen him. It had been about a year since we had last been together, but we had kept in touch through iris messages.

"Grover! What are you doing here?"

We shook hands and hugged.

"Satyrs are always invited to the quincentennial," Grover explained. "We all got an iris message from Chiron last night. What's up with you?"

"Nothing," I mumbled.

Grover arched one of his very bushy eyebrows. "Percy, we've been friends for years. I think I know when something is wrong."

"Annabeth and I...we got into a fight."

"About what?"

"It doesn't matter. How are you?"

"I'm fine," he answered. "Let's get back to you. What happened with you and Annabeth?"

I sighed. I supposed if there was anyone I could spill my guts to it was Grover. So that's what I did. I started with how Chiron had asked to see Annabeth the day before and I had no idea why. I told him how unexcited I was when the dance was announced at the campfire and how she hadn't taken that very well. And finally, I told him about Josh asking her to the dance and how she hadn't flat out said no and about how she wasn't sure if we were actually boyfriend and girlfriend, which I just didn't understand.

"I see," Grover said when I was finished.

"What does that mean?"

"Look, we all know that you and Annabeth are in item, but did you ever actually ask her to be your girlfriend."

"Well, no. I just assumed after our kiss last summer and seeing each other throughout the school year and now..."

"Percy, you can't assume anything."

"So what should I do? Just go up and ask her to be my girlfriend?"

Grover scoffed and shook his head like this was the dumbest thing I had ever said.

"You have to make a grand gesture."

"A grand gesture?"

"Something...romantic," Grover said in a lovey-dovey voice that I had once heard him use when he was talking to the hunters, as if he had any chance with any of them.

This time it was me who scoffed.

"We are talking about the same Annabeth, right?"

"Look, Annabeth might be tough, but she's still a girl. And girls like romance."

Annabeth wasn't just tough, she was smart and strong and could take on any challenge put in front of her. She wasn't just the toughest girl in camp, she was the toughest person in camp. Period. And that was just one of the things that I found so attractive about her.

"What do you know about romance?" I asked Grover.

"I'm older than you, Percy. I know more than you think."

"So what do you suggest?" I asked, not believing that I actually was asking Grover for romantic advice.

"Have you ever heard of a promposal?"

Several hours later, I was practically an expert on promposals. The whole idea seemed ridiculous to me, but Grover had shown me some videos on his phone of successful promposals and in each one, the girl was gushing in excitement so I figured it was worth a try.

It took Grover and I most of the day to plan it all out. I had run into Josh in the mess hall as I was grabbing a quick sandwich to go. He smirked at me. I scowled back. It took some serious effort not to uncap Riptide and take him out at the knees. If he couldn't walk, he couldn't dance. But I had a feeling that went against Chiron's rules and, worse than that, I was pretty sure Annabeth wouldn't appreciate it either.

At sunset, I walked down to the lake. Everything was in place. I just needed Grover to hold up his part of the plan. Any minute he would find Annabeth and tell her that I was in danger. I knew that no matter how mad she was at me, she would come to help me. Then he would lead her down to the lake where I would be waiting. I had even changed out of my orange Camp Half-blood T-Shirt and had put on a black T-Shirt and khaki pants. I was holding a single red rose that I had managed to get from one of the Demeter kids. My palms were sweaty. I didn't know why I was so nervous, but I was.

I stared off down the path where Annabeth would be coming from. She should be there any second.

Any.

Second.

After another few minutes, I looked behind me at the lake. The sun was setting. Beautiful pinks and oranges filled the sky. If Annabeth didn't get there soon, the sun would be gone and the magic of the sunset would be wasted.

"Percy!" Annabeth yelled, sprinting down towards me, her knife clutched in her hand, her hair flowing behind her. She slowed as she got closer to me. I knew I probably had a dumb smile on my face, but I couldn't help it. I loved seeing her ready for battle.

"Hi," I said as she approached me. I probably should have thought of something better to say, but that's all that I could come up with.

"What is going on?" She demanded, looking around as if she was expecting some horrible monster to jump out from anywhere at anytime. "You don't look like you're in danger."

"I'm not."  
"But Grover said…"

"Grover was just helping me out."

I could see on her face the moment she figured out what was going on. And she wasn't happy about it.

"You tricked me!" She exclaimed quite angrily.

This was not part of the plan. She was supposed to see the flower and the nice black shirt and the sunset and immediately be swept off her feet. But this was Annabeth we were talking about and I had learned a long time ago to never underestimate her.

"Annabeth…"

"How dare you! I was worried, Percy! Worried that something had happened to you! Worried that I wouldn't get here in time and you would be monster chow!"

"Annabeth…"

"You can't just pretend you're in danger because you want to talk to me or…"

"Annabeth!" I finally shouted. She finally stopped talking. "Maybe I shouldn't have tricked you to get you here, but I had to get you here."

"Why? What is so important?"

I pointed to a canoe that was resting at the edge of the lake.

"Come with me," I said, holding out my hand.

"Are you kidding me?" She practically yelled. "You want me to go out in the middle of the lake with you when I'm seething with anger and…"

"Please," I said. I didn't know what else to say to get her to join me. This was not what I had planned.

"Percy…" she warned, clearly still very angry.

"Please," I repeated.

"Fine," she finally agreed, huffing. "This better be good."

I offered Annabeth my hand, but she didn't take it. Instead, she took the lead over to the canoe. She climbed in. I pushed the canoe into the water and then hopped in. Not needing a paddle, I simply concentrated on making the boat move swiftly and smoothly through the water. Annabeth didn't look at me as we made our way to the middle of the lake. She simply looked out at the sunset.

When we got to the middle, I stopped the canoe. I realized I was still holding the stupid rose and I wondered if I should have asked the Demeter kids for an entire dozen. I offered the rose to Annabeth. She finally looked at me, but she didn't take it.

"Did you take me out here to give me a flower?" She asked.

"No. I took you out here to ask you something."

"Ask me what?"

I whistled and waited. A few seconds later, there was a rippling in the water around the canoe. Four hippocampi appeared around the canoe. Their colorful bodies shimmered against the water. They were beautiful. I whistled again and they came to attention, two on either side of the canoe. I glanced at Annabeth. She was looking at the hippocampi, mesmerized. The dark gray of her eyes had started to soften. My plan was finally starting to work.

When I whistled a third time, the hippocampi all began spitting water over the canoe like a fountain. I concentrated and started manipulating the water that was spraying over the canoe. Annabeth watched in amazement as the water started to form into words. Thankfully Grover had told me how to spell what I needed to spell. Even though the words were in Greek, which I found easier to read, I still messed up sometimes. I just hoped I put all of the letters in the right order. After a few seconds and some serious concentration, the five word question was complete. I watched Annabeth as she read the Greek water words in the air. She locked eyes with me.

"I know I should have asked you this a long time ago," I said, still having to concentrate on the words. "But I'm asking now. Will you by my girlfriend?"

Annabeth looked at the water words that were still hung up in the air over the canoe. Then she looked at the hippocampi. Finally her eyes settled back on me. She had a smile on her face.

"Yes. Yes, Percy, I'll be your girlfriend."

As she pounced forward to kiss me, I lost my concentration and the water that was flowing over our heads fell right over the canoe. We were soaked, but neither of us cared as our lips met. We were sitting opposite each other on the canoe benches. Our knees were touching and she gripped my hands. One of the hippocampi splashed us playfully from the side of the canoe.

"Thanks guys," I said. The hippocampi disappeared beneath the water and swam away.

"I don't know what to say," Annabeth said.

"Don't say anything yet because I'm not done."  
"What do you mean?"

"I have something else to ask you," I said. I leaned forward and brushed a piece of wet hair away from her forehead. I tucked it behind her ear.

"Oh? What's that?"

I held out the flower to her again. It was a little wet and droopy, but at that point I don't think Annabeth cared because she finally took the flower. This next part wasn't nearly as flashy as when I asked her to be my girlfriend, but it didn't need to be. I had her hooked.

"Would you go to the dance with me?" I asked.

"You want to go to the dance?" She questioned.

"I want to go to the dance with you."

She smiled. "Yes, Seaweed Brain. I will go to the dance with you."

I saw tears in Annabeth's eyes. I was shocked. I had only ever seen her cry on very rare occasions. I wondered if I had done something wrong. Was Grover wrong? Was a grand gesture the wrong thing to do?

"What...what's wrong?" I asked.

"I'm sorry," Annabeth said, wiping her eyes. She looked away from me. Clearly she didn't want me to see her cry.

"You don't have to be sorry. What's going on?"

"I was awful to you and I shouldn't have been. I don't know what's come over me. I was never going to go to the dance with Josh."

"Well, that's a relief," I mumbled.

"It's just...I've been thinking about so many things and I know the dance is just a stupid thing, but when you said you didn't want to go, it made me mad and I don't even know why. And I think of you as my boyfriend so I don't know why I needed you to ask me and…"

Annabeth was rambling and sniffling all at the same time. I had never quite seen her like this. I know people talk about girls and their moods sometimes, but that was never really Annabeth. I mean, sure, I did things to irritate her a lot of the time, but she was never really moody to me. This was a whole new side to her and I didn't know what to think.

"It's ok," I assured her, patting her hand awkwardly.

"And you didn't have to do all this," she told me.

"Well, sometimes a grand gesture helps to smooth things over," I said as if I was a relationship guru, which I totally wasn't.

Annabeth sighed and wiped the last of her tears away.

"Thank you, Percy. Seriously, I think I needed this to come back to reality."

"What's going on?" I asked. "Does this have something to do with what you and Chiron talked about?"

She nodded. "He told me about…"

She was interrupted by someone shouting from the shore. We both looked over. It was Grover. He was waving his arms in the air like he was an air traffic controller trying to land a runaway airplane.

"Did she say yes?" He shouted.

Annabeth burst out laughing. Although I was a little miffed at Grover for ruining a perfectly good, romantic moment, I couldn't stay angry for long. Eventually I started laughing too and, using the water to push us, steered the canoe back to the shore.

Author's Note: I'm sorry for the long delay in between postings. Life has gotten pretty crazy lately and there was just no time for writing. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thanks for sticking with me. I'm hoping to have the next chapter up this weekend. Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4 - I Learn Girls Are Crazy

**Chapter 4 – I Learn Girls Are Crazy**

The next nine days went by in a blur. Between regular camp activities like sword training and chores and arts and crafts, all anyone could talk about was the dance. Even Chiron seemed to have an extra pep in his gallop. The camp had been practically wallpapered with posters and flyers about who to vote for for king and queen. It seemed like each cabin had basically nominated a girl and boy to win the honor. I thought the whole thing was crazy. Thankfully, Annabeth did too. I mean, who would want to be king and queen of some stupid dance?

After our trip out onto the lake, Annabeth and I hadn't fought again. Well, unless you counted our duel in the arena. But after several hours of sword fighting with a few spectators cheering us both on, we eventually called it a tie. When I jokingly offered to escort her to the showers after our match, she called me disgusting, but kissed me anyway. Yes, things were definitely back to normal between Annabeth and me. But I did notice she got a certain gleam in her eye when anyone talked about the dance.

The day of the dance, I walked out of my cabin and made my way over to the mess hall. I expected it to be busy with campers getting their breakfast, but it was pretty empty. And I noticed there wasn't a girl in sight.

"Where is everyone?" I asked Harry, who was sitting all alone at his table.

"Getting ready for the dance," he answered.

"It's nine o'clock in the morning. The dance isn't until tonight."

"Girls take a long time."

I wondered what girls could possibly be doing for eight hours to get ready for the dance, but I decided not to ask. I noticed Annabeth wasn't at the mess hall either. I could not see her taking that long to get ready for anything. Grabbing an apple, I decided it was the perfect day for a swim. As I passed by the Big House, I saw Chiron on the front porch. He was staring at something. As I got closer, I realized it was a golden statue of the three major gods. Zeus was holding a lightning bolt that was lit up like a golden Christmas tree. Hades had flames all around him that looked way too life like. Poseidon was holding his trident, but there was nothing quite so special about him.

"Hey Chiron," I said, climbing up the steps to stand beside him on the porch.

"Percy, you are just the person I need."

"For what?" I asked, hoping I wasn't being roped into some dance duties. A bunch of kids had signed up for the decorating committee, the song selection committee, and the drinks and snacks committee. Not so many people had signed up for the clean-up committee and I was not about to volunteer.

"This," Chiron said, pointing to the statue in front of him.

It was so large, it towered over us, almost hitting the roof of the porch. It looked like it had been recently cleaned.

"What...is it?" I questioned.

"A statue, of course. The decorating committee found it in the basement. They'd like to use it as the centerpiece of the dance, but as you can see, it isn't working."

"What's not working?" I asked. "It looks pretty good to me."

"Poseidon. Poseidon is supposed to be a fountain."

I looked at the base of the statue and sure enough, there was a small well that was meant to collect the water that was to spew out of Poseidon's trident. Without another word, I knew what Chiron wanted me to do. I could immediately feel the water that was settled in some kind of internal bladder inside the statue. All I had to do was convince the water to come out like it was supposed to. I focused and within seconds, water started flowing from the three tips of Poseidon's trident into the well below. Once the pool of water was full enough, the water would be recycled back into the statue and would come out the trident once more.

"Good as new," I said.

"Thank you, Percy."

"You're welcome."  
I was about to walk away before Chiron had me signing up for the clean-up crew, when he said my name. I turned around. He had a serious look on his face.

"Can we talk?" Chiron asked.

"This sounds important."

"I just want to discuss this next school year with you."  
"Why? We're only halfway through summer."

"Yes, but it is going to be your senior year after all."

"Yeah, senior year at another new school. I'm surprised there are even schools that will still take me." I had said it as a joke, but the cruel reality was that it was true. I probably held the record for the most schools attended by any kid, half-blood or not.

"Yes, well, after that, you need to be focusing on what college you'd like to go to. Many students have already started applying and…"

"I'm not going to college," I interrupted. "Getting through regular school was hard enough. I'm not going back to school voluntarily."

"Then what will you do?"

I shrugged. I hadn't thought about it. I figured I still had a whole year to decide. I wanted to focus on just being a regular teenager. Well, as normal as you can be when you're half-god.

"Work here," I stated.

Chiron seemed surprised by that answer. I mean, we had never talked about what I would do after high school graduation, but I assumed Chiron would let me work at camp if I wanted to. I knew I didn't want to work at camp forever, but it would be a start. Then I would have time to figure things out.

"I just assumed that since Annabeth is…"

"Annabeth is what?" I asked.

That's when I realized that she and I had never really finished our conversation from the canoe. She had never told me what she and Chiron had talked about. How could I have forgotten that?  
"Perhaps you should talk to her," Chiron suggested.

I could tell he was hiding something from me.

"What is going on?" I asked.

"I think the decorating committee needs me," Chiron said, clearly trying to get out of the conversation we were having. "See you tonight at the dance, Percy. And thank you for your help."

"But Chiron…" I began, but I was too late. Chiron had already sauntered off down the steps of the porch and towards the arena. That's where the dance was being held. It was the biggest space the camp had.

I knew I had to talk to Annabeth. Something was definitely up. I felt like everyone at camp knew some secret that I didn't know. I walked over to the Athena cabin, but had barely gotten close when I saw some girl running out with curlers in her long black hair. She was crying. Annabeth was chasing her, a hairbrush in her hand.

"It's ok!" Annabeth exclaimed.

The girl didn't seem to hear her and kept running.

"Is she alright?" I asked Annabeth. Her hair was in a ponytail and she was still wearing her Camp Half-Blood t-shirt and a pair of Jean shorts. In other words, she still looked like Annabeth. I was glad to see she hadn't gone completely crazy over the dance yet.

Annabeth sighed. "She was supposed to go to the dance with someone from the Apollo cabin, but he just told her he was going with someone else. Half the girls around camp are crying and Clarisse is going around basically threatening people to vote for her for queen or else she'll pulverize them. This whole thing is crazy."

"Now you know why I didn't want to go to the dance."

"I can still go with Josh," Annabeth said sarcastically, putting her hands on her hips.

"No!" I interrupted. "No, I'm happy to go to the dance with you."

"That's what I thought," Annabeth said. "I have to go put out some fires."

"Fires? What?"

"Not real fires, Seaweed Brain. Girl fires."

"Right," I said nodding, even though I had no idea what she was talking about. How was it possible that someone could get that upset over something as silly as a dance? Why couldn't everyone just go as friends and not have to worry about who was going with who? The whole thing was above my head.

"See you tonight?" Annabeth asked.

"Just tell me you're not going to turn into one of those crazy girls tonight," I said.

"You'll just have to wait and see," Annabeth replied before turning and going back into her cabin.

A few minutes before seven, I finally got off my bed and looked at the black suit and white button down shirt that was laid out on the empty bed next to mine. I had written to my mom earlier in the week and she had sent me the suit she had bought me at the beginning of the last school year. I had needed the suit for an interview to get into the last school I had gone to. I told mom that it was a waste of money, but she said every man needs a suit. Although I wasn't really looking forward to being uncomfortable most of the night with the blue tie around my neck, I was hoping that Annabeth would like it.

I pulled off my Camp Half-Blood clothes and put the suit on. Thankfully Paul, my step-father, had taught me how to tie a tie so I was able to do it without too much trouble. I looked at myself in the mirror and ran my hand through my hair. Suddenly I started getting nervous. I mean, Annabeth and I always spent a lot of time together, but officially going to a dance together was new. The first time we danced together was when we had gone to help Nico and Bianca at their school and ended up dancing for like half a song together. And then there was that one time we had danced at Mount Olympus, but things were…different then between Annabeth and I. This was a real dance with fancy clothes and everything. Not to mention that we would be there the whole night. And even though I thought the amount of time most of the girls spent getting ready for the dance, I was looking forward to seeing what Annabeth would look like. She hadn't told me anything about her dress and I hadn't asked.

When I stepped out of my cabin, I saw a few others making their way to the arena. Some of the boys were in suits like me. Others were wearing khakis and button down shirts of various colors. Most of the girls were in dresses of every color. Pink, green, sparkly, shiny…you name it and someone was wearing it. Some of dresses were short and some of them so long they dragged on the ground. I hardly recognized any of the girls. With their hair done and their faces full of makeup, some of them looked completely different than they did every day. I hoped Annabeth wouldn't look like that. I wanted her to look like her. After all, I loved the way she looked.

As I made my way into the arena, I was surprised at how it had transformed. There were gold and black streamers, balloons, and decorations everywhere. There was a dance floor in the middle of the arena that sparkled as if it were actually made of glitter. The statue that I had helped Chiron fix was next to the snacks table. Poseidon's trident was flowing with water. It looked good. I was pretty impressed. The decorating committee had done a good job. Music was coming from some speakers that had been installed. I didn't recognize the song, but I liked the beat.

I saw Clarisse out of the corner of my eyes. She was wearing a short, black dress. I had never thought of Clarisse as pretty, but she actually looked halfway decent. Until, that is, she scowled out at me. I decided to stay out of her way for the night, which wouldn't be difficult. I generally tries to avoid Clarisse.

When I turned around, I nearly gasped. I had never seen anyone more beautiful in my entire life.


	5. Chapter 5 - I Get A New Hat

**Chapter 5 – I Get A New Hat**

When I turned, I was not expecting what I saw. Annabeth was walking towards me, only she looked different than I had ever seen her look. But different in a good way. A very good way. I couldn't help but stare at her. I'm pretty sure even if a minotaur or some other horrible creature walked by me right then, I wouldn't have been able to take my eyes off of her. I studied Annabeth from head to toe, wanting to memorize every inch of her. She was wearing a blue, floor-length gown. The top of the dress was light blue lace with thin straps that rested on her shoulders. There was a beaded, sparkly belt around her waist. From there, the dress flared out, changing from light blue to dark blue at the bottom. As she moved, the dress shimmered almost as if it were magic. The dress looked like the many colors of the ocean. From the colors of the lake at Camp Half-Blood to the bright blues of the Caribbean, her dress encompassed it all. And it fit her like a glove. Her blond hair was curled and pinned away from her beautiful face. She had on just a little bit of makeup. She was exquisite, better than anything I could have ever imagined. My mouth immediately went dry, my hands clammy. It was as if everything else in the world disappeared and I only had eyes for Annabeth.

"Hi," she said when she finally reached me.

I didn't know what to say. It was as if all rational, logical thought had left my mind. I felt tongue-tied and brain dead all at the same time. I had never experienced anything like this and it was all because of Annabeth.

"You...you're…you're…"

She smiled at me. I could see a little blush spread across her cheeks. Her eyes were my favorite color gray.

"You look handsome," she complimented.

I was barely comprehending what she was saying. Had she just said something nice to me? I wasn't even sure. I forced myself to take a deep breath. I needed to get my brain under control if there was any chance of Annabeth and I having a fun evening together. I couldn't spend the whole time gaping at her like a crazy person. I licked my lips and forced more oxygen into my brain.

"You look amazing," I finally managed to say.

Her smile grew a little bigger.

"Thank you," she said. "I thought of you when I picked the dress out. It reminded me of the…"

"The sea," I finished. "I love it."

Annabeth looked around, almost nervously. It didn't occur to me that she might be a little nervous, too. Sure, we had been dating for about a year and everything, but there was something about this night that we both knew was different. I was very happy that I had decided to go to the dance.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Josh, the Demeter kid who asked Annabeth to the dance, staring at her. I was surprised he wasn't drooling. He was with a group of guys from his cabin. They were all staring at Annabeth. I did not like the look on Josh or any of the other guys' faces. I immediately put my arm around Annabeth's waist. Sure, maybe it was a little caveman of me, but there was no way I was going to let him think he had a shot with her. She was there with me and I wanted everyone to know it.

"Do you want to dance?" I asked Annabeth, having to shout a little over the roar of the music.

She nodded. I reached my hand out and she took it. We made our way over to the dance floor where a few other campers were dancing. Some were dancing close together, others were in big groups. But I didn't care about anybody else. Nobody else seemed to matter. I couldn't take my eyes off of Annabeth.

Unlike the first time we danced and Annabeth had to basically tell me what to do, I took charge. I snaked my arm around my waist, the palm of my hand coming to rest on her lower back. We were standing so close that I held her other hand against our bodies. The song that was playing immediately slowed down as if it were playing just for us. Annabeth looked up, into my eyes.

"This is perfect," she said quietly.

"You're perfect."

"Thank you for coming with me."

"You're welcome," I said. "I'm glad we're here together."

"Me too."

I leaned my forehead against hers and we swayed to the music. I couldn't imagine a more perfect night.

As the song ended, a more upbeat song began. I reluctantly let Annabeth go and we started dancing a little more on pace with the music. A few of Annabeth's cabin mates joined us and soon there was a large group of people dancing. There was laughter and cheering and even I had to admit, that I was having a really good time. After an hour of dancing, Annabeth went off to use the bathroom with a group of girls (why did girls always have to go to the bathroom together) and I went off to get something to drink. Grover was standing by the snack table, chewing on one of the plates that had been full of cookies. He was wearing a powder blue tuxedo jacket over a white, ruffled shirt. His hair was slicked back with gel, making his horns even more visible. With his furry goat legs and large hooves sticking out, he looked a little strange, but I could tell he was pretty proud of his appearance so I wasn't going to say anything.

"You're looking good out there, Percy," Grover said.

"I'm actually having a lot of fun," I said, getting a cup of punch. "Are you going to dance?"  
"I will. Annabeth looks pretty."

"Yeah, she does."

"You're a lucky man, Percy."

I smiled, knowing he was right.

"Yeah, I really am."

Annabeth started walking towards me, returning from the bathroom. I grabbed an extra cup and got her some punch.

"Thanks," she said as I handed her the cup. "Hi Grover."

"Hi! You look nice."

"Thank you," she said, swishing the bottom of her dress so that it sparkled and glittered.

"Where did you even get that dress?" I asked, as if for the first time realizing that you couldn't buy a dress like that in the camp store. "You haven't even left camp."

"Every girl has to keep her secrets."

I don't know if it was because of what she said, or how she said it, but I suddenly wanted to start kissing Annabeth and get my hands on her bare skin.

"Let's go dance," I said, knowing that's how close I could come to touching her again.

Just as I was about to take her hand, Chiron's voice boomed through the speakers. We all looked to where he was standing in the middle of the dance floor. He didn't have a microphone so I didn't know how he was managing to make his voice come through the speakers, but I had learned to never question how things happened.

"Welcome campers, satyrs, and guests to our Quincentennial!" Chiron announced.

Everyone, including me, clapped. It was hard not to get caught up in the excitement of everything when everyone else was so enthralled. I was beginning to change my mind on the stupidity of dances.

"At this time I'd like to announce the king and queen of this year's quincentennial," Chiron continued.

Everyone was immediately silent. Chiron opened an enveloped he was holding and I could swear everyone in the room held their breath. I was about to suggest to Annabeth that we should find a quiet corner to maybe do a little kissing when I heard my name. And it was loud.

"Percy Jackson!" Chiron yelled. The room erupted in applause.

"What?" I said, shocked. I didn't really know what was going on. Why was Chiron yelling my name? Was I in trouble? Wait, I couldn't be in trouble. I hadn't done anything. Suddenly I noticed that everyone's eyes were on me.

"You're the king of the Quincentennial!" Grover shouted. "Go get your crown."

"But, I'm not…I didn't…" I stuttered. It was starting to sink in. Chiron had announced me as king.

Annabeth had a huge smile on her face. "Go, Percy!"

"But…" I protested.

"Go!" Annabeth and Grover yelled at the same time. Grover basically started pushing me and I slowly made my way to Chiron. I still couldn't exactly wrap my head around what was going on. Was this some kind of joke? I hadn't put my name in to be king. I hadn't campaigned or even talked to anyone about wanting to be king. The last thing I wanted was to be the center of attention. I had been the center of attention enough in my life.

When I reached Chiron, he placed a golden crown on top of my head. It had symbols of the ocean engraved all around it. A shell, a wave, and a trident dead in the center. It was pretty cool looking, but I nearly died from embarrassment especially because everyone was still clapping.

"Congratulations, Percy," Chiron said.

"Thanks," I muttered. I managed a fake smile. All I wanted to do was go back to dancing with Annabeth and now I was the king of the quincentennial. What exactly was a king supposed to do anyway?

"And now, for the queen!" Chiron boomed, his voice echoing through the speakers once more. He opened a second envelope. I held my breath. I was not looking forward to having to stand there with some random girl who would be named as queen. Especially if that girl was Clarisse. I noticed a large smile spread across Chiron's face.

"Annabeth Chase!" Chiron announced.

This time, I cheered along with everybody else. Annabeth had been at Camp Half-Blood longer than any remaining camper and she was basically friends with everybody, much more social than I was. So when she won the title of queen, the sound in the arena was deafening. Annabeth joined me in the middle of the dance floor. Chiron placed the gold tiara on her head. This one had an owl etched into the side. I couldn't help but notice the smile on her face. Annabeth never would have admitted it, but I knew she was happy she had won queen. It's like one of those things you never knew you wanted, but was glad when it happened. And I was definitely glad and happy that she was my queen.

"It's time for the king and queen dance!" Chiron shouted above the roar and continuous applause from the crowd.

I looked at Chiron. Nobody had said anything about dancing. I mean, I wanted to dance with Annabeth, but not with everybody staring at us. That was embarrassing. But I let Annabeth take my hand. I put my hand at her hip, keeping a little more distance from each other than we had when we first danced together. A slow song started playing and from somewhere, a spotlight illuminated us. Annabeth's dress sparkled in the light.

"This is crazy," I said to her as other couples gathered around us. Everyone was in a circle, watching us.

"Crazy good or crazy bad?" She asked, inching a little closer to me.

"Crazy good," I answered and I meant it. "Why do you think they picked us to be king and queen? I mean, you didn't put our names in, did you?"

"Of course not."

"Then why us?"

"Maybe because you've basically saved camp like a million times," she answered.

"We've saved camp," I corrected her. "I couldn't have done any of it without you."

"That's true," she agreed with a smirk.

I looked around. Other couples were starting to dance and it seemed as if there were less eyes staring directly at us.

"Come on," I said. "Let's get out of here."

"Percy, what…"

I grabbed her hand and pulled her through the crowd. I didn't stop walking until we had left the arena. Things were much quieter outside.

"I just wanted some alone time with you," I told her.

She leaned her back against one of the granite columns and bent down to take off her shoes. I hadn't really noticed them since they were covered by the bottom of her dress, but Annabeth was wearing silver sparkly heels. I had never seen her in heels before. I had to admit, I liked them.

"My feet are killing me," she said, holding the strappy shoes from the tips of her fingers. I don't know what it was about that moment. Maybe it was the idea that I knew she was wearing heels or that she had basically started taking off her clothes (granted, they were just shoes), but I knew I had to get my hands on her. I practically pounced on her, kissing her hard. My left arm snaked around her waist. She dropped the shoes and buried her hands in my hair. It was perfect.

Author's Note: This was a super fun chapter to write. I hope you liked it! Thanks or reading!


	6. Chapt 6 - Annabeth and I Break The Rules

**Chapter 6 – Annabeth and I Break The Rules**

After a few minutes of making out against the column of the arena outside the dance Annabeth and I finally parted.

"Wow," I said, my brain not really forming coherent thoughts.

"Yeah, wow," Annabeth mimicked.

Her cheeks were flushed. I guessed mine were the same color. Her lipstick was a little smudged and her hair was a little messier than it had been before we started kissing. I don't know why, but I suddenly felt very pleased with myself. I had noticed in the last few months that I had become much more interested in doing physical things with Annabeth. I mean, sure kissing was great and everything, but I also liked touching her when we were kissing. I liked the feeling of her hands in my hair and the intimacy of her hand against my chest. It made me want to...do more. It made me want to kiss her longer and more passionately. I had a feeling that she felt the same way because she always matched my intensity. I guess that's just part of growing up. Annabeth and I were having that typical teenage moment when you realize that your best girl friend has become your girlfriend and you basically want to jump her bones every minute of the day. And with Annabeth in that dress, it was becoming increasingly more difficult not to want to touch her.

"We should go back in," Annabeth suggested although I could tell that she didn't really want to.

"I don't ever want this night to end," I told her.

She smiled. "Me either."

"Then let's not let it end."

"What do you mean?"

"After the dance, stay with me. In my cabin." The words just kind of came out of me. I hadn't been expecting them. But as soon as I said it, I knew I meant it. I did want her to stay with me.

"Percy..." She stepped away from the column, creating a distance between us. I could see her mind racing behind her gray eyes. And I knew that I had scared her a little. She thought I was trying to move things too fast and she wasn't comfortable with that.

"That's not what I mean," I said quickly. "I don't mean so we can…" I trailed off. It felt awkward to say it out loud. "I don't want to push you into anything. That isn't my intention at all. I just want to...be with you. Not with you in that way, just…"

"It's ok, Percy," she assured me, stepping closer to me to put her hand on my arm. I felt like I was drowning in my words and the son of the sea god doesn't drown.

"I want to hold you," I finally said, hoping it wasn't as lame as it sounded. "I want to hold you in my arms while we both fall asleep. And I want to wake up with you in the morning. Fully clothed of course."

That last line made us both blush again. In our last year together, Annabeth and I had spent a good amount of time kissing. But it never really went beyond that. I mean, once I had kissed her at the lake with my shirt off because I had been swimming, but that felt totally normal. We hadn't even discussed the next step. I had a feeling she wasn't ready and although sometimes my body didn't agree with my head, I didn't think I was ready either.

"That's sweet of you, Percy," Annabeth said. "But you know the rules. Unrelated males and females can't…"

"Spend the night in each other's cabins, I know," I finished. "But since when have we ever cared about breaking the rules?"

"If anyone found out. Chiron or the other campers." Her voice got lower. "Think about what they'd say about us."

I knew she was right. This wasn't just about getting into trouble with Chiron. This was about a lot more than that. I had a feeling that if anyone saw Annabeth leaving my cabin in the morning, the boys would be congratulating me, but the girls would give Annabeth a hard time. And it wouldn't matter if we told them that nothing happened. Teenagers could be cruel, especially teenage girls.

"Then meet me by the lake," I said.

"What?"

"Midnight. Meet me by the lake. We can have our own little party."

"Percy…"

"You don't have to give me an answer now. Just promise me you'll think about it."

She nodded. "I'll think about it."

"Good. Now let's get back in there. We still have a lot of dancing to do."

I picked up Annabeth's shoes. Since she had no interest in putting them back on, I carried them back into the arena for her. After ditching the shoes under a table, I led her back out to the dance floor. We were both ready to dance the night away.

A few minutes before midnight, I made my way down to the lake. It was a beautiful night, as was usual at Camp Half-Blood. There was a full moon and the stars were shining brightly over the lake. I put down the bag that I had slung over my shoulder on a perfect, grassy spot. I pulled out a black and red checkered blanket that I had pilfered from The Big House when no one was looking. I laid it out on the ground, smoothing out the wrinkles. Next, I took out a bottle of sparkling apple cider that I had taken from the dance and a plate of chocolate covered strawberries. I sat down on the blanket and waited. I had no idea if Annabeth would actually show up. I had decided to give her until 12:30. If she didn't show up by then, I'd pack everything up and she and I didn't have to discuss the meeting again. I certainly didn't want to pressure her into breaking the rules or doing anything she wasn't comfortable doing.

The dance had ended only an hour before. With tired feet, campers had shuffled back to their cabins. I imagined it would take some of the girls quite a while to wash off all of the makeup on their faces and get their hair looking normal again. Despite my initial reservations, the dance had been a blast. When Annabeth and I had gone back into the arena after our little rendezvous, everyone was cheering and clapping for us. I was congratulated so many times that I lost count. I guess when your camp only has a dance every 500 years, it's a pretty big deal to be crowned king and queen. Chiron had taken a photograph of us and said it would be hanging up in the Big House until the end of time.

Annabeth and I spent most of the rest of the night dancing with our friends. It really was a lot of fun. I was hoping that the fun wouldn't end.

I heard footsteps a moment later and scrambled to my feet. Annabeth was walking towards me. She wasn't in her dress anymore, but what she was wearing was almost better. She was in a light pink, v-neck T-Shirt with matching striped, cotton pajama shorts. The shorts only came to her mid-thigh. She had removed all of her makeup and put her hair into a sloppy ponytail, but it was still petty curly. She still had the tiara on her head and it made me laugh. Somehow it just made the outfit complete.

"I wasn't sure you'd come," I said.

"I wasn't sure I would come either."

"But here you are."

"Here I am."

I motioned to the blanket and we both sat down next to each other, looking out over the lake.

"Tonight was amazing," I stated.

"Yes, it was."

She scooted closer to me, leaning her head against my shoulder. Everything felt so peaceful, so right. And I realized I was ready to say the one thing I hadn't said to Annabeth. The one thing I probably should have said a long time ago, but never had the courage to say.

"Annabeth, I…" I began.

"Percy…" she said at the same time.

"You first," I insisted, suddenly feeling a little self-conscious.

"No, you."

She picked her head up off my shoulder and looked into my eyes. I cleared my throat. It was time.

"Ok," I said. "I...I...I love you."

I blurted it out so fast that I wasn't sure if she even was able to understand me. But I could see her eyebrows raise in surprise and a small gasp escaped her lips. I waited for her to say something. A few seconds ticked by. They were the longest seconds of my life.

"You're not just saying that because of tonight, right? Because of the dress and the dancing and the tiara?"

"No," I said quickly. "Annabeth, I've been in love with you since I was twelve years old. I just didn't know it then. You're smart and tough and beautiful. I love how you care about your friends and how you think about things. I love how your eyes light up when you talk about architecture. I love the way your hair looks in the sunlight and I love that you're willing to put your life on the line to save others. I love you, Annabeth."

I could see tears welling in her eyes. I didn't want to make her cry. But then I saw her smile and I realized they were happy tears.

"Good," she finally said. "Because I was going to say the same thing."

"You were?"

She nodded. "I love you too."

I leaned in and kissed her. Something about this kiss felt different. It felt...permanent. I don't know why I had taken so long to tell her I loved her. After all, I had loved her for a long time. And I was very glad to find out that she loved me too. I think I had known it all along, but it was definitely different hearing the words out loud.

Breathless from our kiss, Annabeth and I parted. I put an arm around her and she leaned her body against mine. We sat together, looking out over the lake. I had never felt more content in my whole life.

"Maybe we should just stay at camp this year," I suggested, my eyes almost closing. We were both tired.

"What do you mean?"

"For our senior year, after the summer is over. I mean, I never have any luck at schools and we could spend the entire year together. It makes sense."

"Percy…" Annabeth said quietly and just in the way she said my name, I knew something was wrong. She sat up and turned to face me. We both sat across from each other, criss-cross on the blanket, our knees touching.

"What is it?" I asked.

"There's something I've been meaning to talk to you about."

"Does this have to do with what you and Chiron talked about last week?"

She nodded. "It's about the next school year."

"What's going on next school year?"

"I've been given an opportunity," she explained. "A really good opportunity."

"Ok…" I said, not sure where this was going. Was she talking about a quest? A different school? I could feel my heart racing. I had a feeling that whatever Annabeth was about to tell me was something I wasn't going to like. After all, she had been avoiding this entire conversation for over a week.

"There's a college that allows students to be admitted their senior in high school. It's an internship type program. You get partnered with a business in the field you want to pursue. You spend your senior year of high school learning from the business with hands-on experience while taking your required courses on the side at the college to get your high school diploma. After the first year, you start taking regular college classes, but mostly it's still hands-on experience. It's on the job training. And, if you stick with the program, you can graduate with a bachelor's degree in three years. And the business that you were partnered up with offers you a job."

"That sounds amazing," I said.

"It is. There's an architecture firm that's interested in me. They build skyscrapers that are energy efficient and good for the environment. They used recycled materials and focus on design and the ability to make a building both practical and nice to look at. They're a perfect fit for me, Percy."

"I'm happy for you!" I exclaimed. I couldn't understand why Annabeth hadn't told me this before. I mean, I would have liked to have spent our last school year at camp or maybe at the same school, but if she were working in the city, it would be easy to visit her often. "That sounds like everything you've ever wanted!"

I was surprised that she wasn't smiling. Everything she was telling me sounded like a dream come true for her. But I knew there was more to it than what she had already told me.

"It is," she said. "But…"

"But what? I mean, it's perfect. I can stay at camp and visit you in the city and..."

"It's not in New York," Annabeth interrupted.

"Oh," I said. I had just assumed she was talking about New York. Annabeth had never mentioned wanting to go anywhere else. "Where is it?"

"It's in Phoenix."

"Arizona?" I questioned, hoping that maybe there was a Phoenix somewhere on the East Coast.

She nodded slowly. "Yes."

"Oh," I said again.

We let that hang in the air for a minute, neither of us saying anything. I know what I should say. I should tell her that of course I wanted her to go and have a good time and learn everything she can about architecture. But the other part of me wanted her to stay with me.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I finally asked after a very long pause.

"I was afraid you'd talk to me out of it."

"So you've already decided?"  
"I haven't given them my official decision yet," she said. "But..."

"But you want to go?"  
"I don't want to leave Camp or you, but, Percy, it's an opportunity I can't pass up. Chiron had to pull some strings to get me in. My high school grades aren't exactly stellar. With my dyslexia and ADHD…"

"I know," I said because I did know. All of the things that made us good in battle worked against us in a classroom.

"You don't want me to go," she said more as a statement than as a question.

"It's not that. Of course I want you to go. I want you to fulfill your dream and be the best architect you can be. It's just...a lot."

"You can visit," she said.

"Phoenix is a land locked city, Annabeth. All of Arizona is and you know I can't fly in a plane. Zeus wouldn't like that."

"There's always the train."

"Yeah." I paused, thinking about what all of this meant. "I mean, it's just for the school year, right? We've been apart before. You can go there for the year and we'll be back at camp next summer."

"It's not just the school year, Percy."

"What?"

"The courses are year-round and the architecture firm I'll be interning with expects you to be there year-round as well. It's like having a real job. And that's why you get to graduate early."

"So, no camp next summer?"

She shook her head and I could tell she was sad.

"No," she answered quietly.

"But it's our last year."

"I know."

I tried to think of what to say next. I knew I should have been more supportive, but it was difficult. I couldn't imagine camp without her.

"But what if something happens to you out there? What if monsters attack? Camp is safe and…"

"I can take care of myself," she said matter-of-factly. And of course she was right. Annabeth could take care of herself better than anyone I knew.

"But it's camp," I said lamely. It was the dumbest reason not for her to take the opportunity, but I was running out of ideas.

"Percy, there is life beyond camp. I know you love it here, but…"

"You love here, too. Don't you?"

She sighed. "Of course I do. But I've been here since I was seven years old. I'm ready to move on. I'm ready to live my life as a normal person."

"But you're not normal. None of us are normal."

"Half-bloods go on to lead normal lives all the time," Annabeth stated.

"What about us?"

"We can still be together," she said. "I'm not saying it won't be difficult, but…"

"Fine!" I shouted more loudly then I meant to. "Then go! If you don't care enough about me or camp to stay, then just go!"

"Percy, I didn't say I didn't care. I'm just asking you to understand."

"Well, I don't! I don't understand!"

I knew I shouldn't be raising my voice. Not only could someone at camp hear us, but it wasn't fair of me to be yelling at Annabeth.

"I'm sorry you feel that way," she said and I could tell she was fighting back tears. I was fighting back some myself.

When she stood and stormed away, I didn't stop her.

Author's Note: This chapter was sort of the driving force behind this whole chapter. I know some people might be thinking that this last section is a little out of character, but remember Annabeth and Percy are teenager and teenagers have a lot of emotions. I promise there's a lot more to come!


	7. Chapter 7 - We Play Capture The Flag

**Chapter 7 – We Play Capture The Flag**

It had been thirty-six hours since Annabeth and I had met out at the lake and she had told me about her plan to go to Phoenix. We hadn't spoken since. I hadn't seen her at breakfast the next morning after the dance. Actually, the mess hall was pretty empty. Campers were sleeping in after a late night at the dance. Although I knew it wasn't like Annabeth to sleep late, I figured she was avoiding me. She didn't come to lunch either, nor did I see her around camp. I had checked the climbing wall, the archery range, the stables, and everywhere else she was likely to go. I had even poked my head into the arena where the clean-up crew was still cleaning up from the dance. I managed to sneak away before anyone could guilt me into staying to help. At dinner that night, I finally caught a glimpse of her sitting at the Athena table, surrounded by her half-sisters from the same cabin. Even when she got up to put her tray away, a group of girls followed her. Most of them were glaring at me. Something told me that Annabeth had told them what had happened and that they all blamed me. Grover seemed to be the only person at camp who was still talking to me. It was as if everyone knew that I had broken Annabeth's heart or something. Not that I had. As far as I was concerned, we were still together and I still loved her. We just had some things to figure out.

I barely slept that night, going over things in my head. I knew I should be the supportive boyfriend who told her to chase her dreams. I wanted to be that kind of person, but I had to admit that I was pretty angry. I wasn't that upset that Annabeth could potentially be leaving me for the desert. I was more upset that she hadn't told me about it until ten days later. I wanted to talk to her about how I was feeling. I wanted to sit down and have a real conversation with her about everything, but that wasn't always easy when you're at a camp full of teenagers. There isn't much privacy.

The next morning, I had gotten up extra early, hoping to be the first one in the mess hall. I knew sometimes Annabeth liked to get up and grab a morning snack before heading out to practice some skills with her knife. Then she'd come back to have breakfast with the rest of her cabin. I waited in the mess hall for about an hour. She never showed. As the place filled up, I heard Chiron clopping in.

"Good morning, Percy," he said.

"Hey," I answered.

"Is everything alright?"

"Sure. Yeah." I knew I sounded like a moody teenager, but I couldn't help it. I was not really interested in talking to Chiron about my girl trouble.

"I've heard that you and Annabeth may be…fighting."

Great. If Chiron had heard the news then everyone at camp was really talking about me and Annabeth.

"It's fine," I told him. "We'll figure it out."

"Perhaps this will cheer you up," he said before stepping into the middle of the dining hall. I hoped he wasn't about to make some embarrassing announcement about me and Annabeth.

"Chiron, what…" I began, but I couldn't stop him.

"Campers!" He announced. Everyone stopped what they were doing to turn and look at him. "Tomorrow we will be playing a special game of Capture The Flag."

Everyone cheered. For the most part, everyone loved Capture The Flag. It was a way for everyone to show off their battle skills and kick a little non-lethal butt while doing it. It got pretty competitive, but it was all in good fun. I thought that maybe a good game of Capture The Flag was just what I needed to take my mind off things.

"And I'm choosing two captains to pick teams for this game," Chiron continued.

I was surprised. Chiron usually let the campers figure out the teams. Cabins usually made alliances to work together to beat each other. I couldn't remember any other time when Chiron had been involved. The other campers were surprised too, but nobody said anything.

I pretty much tuned Chiron out when I saw Annabeth walking into the mess hall. She was, of course, surrounded by girls. Clearly they had been told that Chiron was making some kind of announcement and they wanted to know what it was. Annabeth wouldn't even meet my eyes.

"Our king and queen of the quincentennial," Chiron announced.

There was a gasp and then some applause. I had no idea what he had just said. I hadn't been listening. I was too busy trying to read Annabeth's expression. I wanted to see her eyes. I could always tell a lot about her mood by the color of her eyes.

"This oughta be interesting," Harry, my friend from the Hephaestus cabin said, clapping me on the back.

"What?" I asked him.

"You and Annabeth as opposing captains."

"But, I don't…wait…what?"

"Weren't you listening?" Harry asked. "Chiron just picked you and Annabeth to be opposing team captains."

I watched as Annabeth stepped forward. She looked proud that she had been named Captain. I wasn't feeling the same way.

"Why would he do that?" I asked out loud although I meant the question to be more for myself than for anyone else to hear.

Harry shrugged. "Don't know. Maybe it's another camp tradition. Have you two even ever played against each other in Capture The Flag? Aren't you usually on the same team?"

I nodded. Annabeth and I usually were on the same team with everything. But suddenly, it felt like we couldn't be any further apart.

The next day, the teams for Capture The Flag were set. Instead of playing the usual way when cabins teamed up together and formed alliances to battle each other, we decided to play boys against the girls. It had been Annabeth's idea. Those were basically the only words she had said to me. I had agreed because I felt like I couldn't do much else. It would be weird having all male teammates, but the entire camp was pretty psyched about it. Although a lot of the boys had brute strength, I was a little nervous that the girls actually had the advantage. Many of them were fast and smart and really good at out-thinking their opponent rather than relying solely on their strength. Not that I would ever admit that out loud.

As the game was about to begin, Chiron forced Annabeth and I to shake hands. It was the first time we had touched since that moment at the lake. I could tell she wasn't happy about the forced physical contact. The minute our hands were released, Annabeth ran off into the forest. I retreated with Riptide in my hand. As captain, I had given all of the guys in my command a job. Half were on offense and half were on defense. I knew Annabeth would have some clever plan, but I hoped I could outthink her. That's why we pretty much hid the flag in plain sight. She wouldn't be expecting that. I made sure, though that it was very heavily guarded.

I hung back by the flag. Normally I would play offense, but I had a feeling that if I were on defense, I would face Annabeth sooner rather than later and that was my ultimate goal. I could hear fighting in the distance. Swords clanging against shields. Arrows whizzing. At one point I was pretty sure I heard Chiron yell something from across the forest about how fair game play didn't include flirting.

Not ten minutes later, I heard a sound behind me. I turned, but there was nothing there. I smiled because I knew exactly what was going on. I had expected it. I ran at full speed towards the rustling and suddenly smashed into something. With an oof, I tumbled to the ground. Annabeth was underneath me, her Yankees cap on the ground beside her.

"Get off of me!" She yelled, trying to push me off. Although she was strong, I was stronger just because of my size. I pinned her down as she continued to struggle.

"Not until we talk," I said, trying to remain calm.

"This isn't the time," she snapped, still trying to push me off of her. She tried to reach for her knife, which had been knocked out of her hand when I crashed into her, but it was just out of her reach.

"You've been avoiding me," I pointed out.

"For good reason!"

"Look, I'm sorry about what happened on the lake. I shouldn't have…"

"Percy, get off of me!" She screamed. I'm pretty sure other people in the forest could hear us. Annabeth was yelling pretty loudly. But if any of the girls could hear her, none of them were coming to Annabeth's rescue. Maybe the others knew just how badly we needed to talk as much as I did.

"I'm trying to apologize here."

"Well, save it! What's done is done! I don't care!"

Her words stung me. I knew she was mad, but I didn't know she was that mad. It was like she was telling me that she didn't care about me. Without meaning to, I let my guard down. Annabeth knew it and managed to roll me so that she was on top of me. This time, she pinned me down. Knowing it wouldn't take much for me to overpower her, Annabeth grabbed her knife and scrambled to her feet. She took a few steps away from me, holding her knife out.

"Annabeth…" I said, slowly getting to my feet.

"Fight me, Percy," she goaded.

"I don't want to fight you. We've done enough fighting."

"Fight me!"

She lunged for me, giving me no choice but to step back. I didn't want to use Riptide, though. Not because I thought I would hurt her. She was too good of a fighter for me to worry about that, but because I wanted to talk, not fight. When she realized I wouldn't take the bait, she started sprinting towards the flag. Maybe it was because suddenly there were a few guys ready to start attacking Annabeth to save our flag and I didn't want to see them fighting her or maybe it was because I just hoped she'd keep talking to me if we fought, but I uncapped Riptide and ran off after her. I managed to trip her and she went sprawling in the leaves.

When she got to her feet, I was standing with Riptide, ready to duel. She slashed at me with her knife, but I deflected. It seemed a little unfair that Riptide was a lot longer than her knife, but I knew she wouldn't see it as a disadvantage. I swiped at her, but she ducked. I had no intention of hurting her and I'm pretty sure she had no intention of hurting me, but she was pretty mad so if she did hurt me, I guess I deserved it.

"I don't want to fight!" I yelled as we circled each other.

"Well, that's too bad."

Her gray eyes were dark and wild. Her expression wasn't just anger. There was sadness there too. And that made me feel bad.

"Annabeth, I'm sorry. I didn't react the way I should have reacted when you told me about Phoenix. I should have been more supportive."

She slashed from below. She nicked my armor, but I jumped before any real damage could be done.

"You showed me your true feelings. You don't have to apologize for that," she said in anger.

"I want you to go," I stated.

"Don't tell me things you think I want to hear."

"I'm not. I want you to go because I want you to be happy. I want you to do what you love. This is an amazing opportunity for you, Annabeth. You can't waste it."

Annabeth's grip on her knife loosened a little. I knew that if I wanted to lunge at her and knock her off her feet, that was my chance. But I wasn't interested.

"What about us?" She asked.

"We'll make it work," I answered. "We always do."

"You mean, you don't want to break up with me?"

I released myself from my fighting stance. My hand holding Riptide dropped to my side.

"Of course not," I said. "It's that what you thought?"

She nodded. I could see her blinking back tears.

"Annabeth, I love you," I continued. "That hasn't changed just because you want to get a jump start on your career."

She lowered her knife and I capped Riptide so it turned back into a pen.

"Do you mean that?" She asked.

"Yes. I'm not saying being apart will be easy, but we can make it work. We've been through a lot worse. Let's not forget the time I saw you fall off a cliff with a manticore and I thought you were dead."

"And when you disappeared after blowing up Mount St. Helen's," she added. "We all thought you were dead."

"We've been through a lot. And if we can get through that, we can get through anything."

"I guess we can," she said quietly.

"Just promise me that you won't keep anything like this from me. I think it hurt more knowing you hadn't told me right away.'  
"I'm sorry. You're right. I should have told you. I think I was just afraid to admit how much leaving you would hurt. I was afraid to say I…"

"You what?" I teased, having some idea of what she was about to say.

"I love you, Seaweed Brain."

She threw herself at me and our lips collided. We wrapped our arms around each other, our armor clanging against the others. I couldn't tell you who won Capture the Flag that day. To be honest, I didn't care. All I knew was that Annabeth and I were back to doing what we loved best.


	8. Chapter 8 - My 17th Birthday

**Chapter 8 – My 17****th**** Birthday**

After the Capture The Flag game, Annabeth and I were inseparable. Except for mealtimes, we spent every second practically attached at the hip. I'm sure we were annoying to everyone else at camp, but we didn't care.

The summer went by like the blink of an eye. It was the best summer I could remember in a long time. There was no dangerous quest and no worrying whether we'd survive. Annabeth and I just got to spend time together battling each other in the arena, racing up the climbing wall, and another game of Capture The Flag where we were on the same team and beat the all-time camp record of fastest win. It was epic.

Before I knew it, it was the day before my birthday, which meant it was the end of the summer. I was sitting on the edge of the dock, my feet in the water. After breakfast, Annabeth told me she had something she had to do and that she would meet me at the lake when she was done. I didn't have to wait long before I heard her walking up behind me. When I heard her footsteps, I immediately knew it was her. I had memorized the sound of her steps against the wooden planks.

She sat down beside me, untied her shoes, and dipped her feet into the water. Without saying a word, I playfully bumped the side of my foot against hers.

"I have a surprise of you," she said.

"What kind of surprise?" I asked.

"Well, I can't tell you. Otherwise it wouldn't be a surprise."

"Would this have something to do with my birthday?" I teased, seeking out her fingers with my own.

"I told you it's a surprise," Annabeth insisted with a smile.

"Alright, fine."

"Just be ready after breakfast tomorrow."

"Ready for what?"

"Percy!" Annabeth exclaimed, exasperated.

"Alright, alright, I'll stop asking."

We sat together in silence, our legs bumping, our fingers intertwined. These were my favorite moments with Annabeth. Well, besides when I was kissing her.

"Percy…" Annabeth said and I could tell by the sound of her voice that whatever she was about to say was something I wasn't going to like. As if I could read her mind, I knew exactly what thoughts were in her head. It was the one thing we hadn't talked about since we kissed and made up at the Capture The Flag game.

"Don't say it," I warned.

"We have to talk about it."

"Why?"

"Because it's happening whether we talk about it or not," she told me. "And I don't…I don't want to leave like this."

I had to bite my tongue to stop myself from saying 'I don't want you to leave at all.' I sighed. She was right. We did have to talk about it.

"Ok," I finally said. "Let's talk."

"I'm leaving the day after tomorrow," she stated.

I knew this even though she hadn't told me herself. I had overheard her and Chiron talking about the details. Her flight was in the morning, the day after my birthday. Chiron would bring her to JFK airport and she'd fly straight to Phoenix. A peer mentor, someone who had gone through the same program Annabeth was going to, would be there to meet her and get her settled in.

"I know," I whispered.

"Do you…do you want to come with me to the airport? Chiron said you could go."

I shrugged. I hadn't heard that particular part of the conversation when Chiron and Annabeth had been talking. I wanted to go with her. I wanted to spend every last second with her until she had to leave, but I also didn't know if I could handle saying goodbye to her at the airport where things wouldn't be so private. Were we better off saying our goodbyes at camp?

"Do you want me to go?" I asked.

"Yes," she said quietly as if afraid that she would hurt my feelings.

"Then I'll go."

"I'll be home for Christmas," Annabeth said quickly. "We'll only be apart for a few months. And I was thinking of getting a cell phone."

"Those are dangerous, Annabeth. You know the monsters use cell phones to track the sounds of our voices. If…"

"I know," she said. Of course she knew. She knew everything. "They may be able to track us by our voice, but they can't track text messages. And we can always Iris message."

I nodded. She had a point. And having a cell phone would be kind of nice.

"And we'll both be so busy," she continued, trying to sound cheerful. "You'll be at a new school and I'll be…"

"Across the country in Phoenix," I muttered. I immediately regretted it. I could see Annabeth's eyes were beginning to water, but I knew she wouldn't cry. She was stronger than that. And I was being a jerk…again.

"Percy…"

"I'm sorry," I immediately said, squeezing her hand. "I didn't mean that."

"I think you did."

"Alright, maybe I did. Maybe I still don't like the idea of being apart from you for that long, but I want you to be happy, Annabeth. It'll be hard, but we'll figure this out. And I promise to stop being such a jerk about it."

"Ok."

"Let's make these last two days count," I said.

"Sounds like a plan," she agreed.

"So…what are we doing tomorrow?" I asked in hopes that she would let her guard down and tell me the surprise.

To my surprise, Annabeth pushed me right off the end of the dock. Now if I had wanted to, I probably could have forced the water to push me back on the dock before I fell in and I wouldn't even have a drop on me. But that wasn't my plan. Instead, on the way down, I grabbed Annabeth's arm. Together, we tumbled into the water. I allowed the water to soak through my clothes and rest on my skin. It seemed unfair that Annabeth would be soaking wet and I'd be bone dry. I had a feeling she wouldn't like that very much.

"Hey!" She sputtered, treading water.

"You pushed me!" I exclaimed.

"And you were supposed to fall in without me!"

She splashed me. I let the water hit me in the face. I retaliated with a splash in her direction. She dove underwater, dodging my splash. With a little concentration, the water applied a little force to my body and I sank down. I opened my eyes. I could see Annabeth in front of me, holding her breath under the water. I created an underwater bubble around both of us. She let out her breath and smiled.

"Show off," she said.

"Gotta impress the ladies," I replied.

She reached out and took my hand. She pulled me towards her and our lips crashed together. Even though we were underwater, it felt like fire was coursing through my veins. It was most definitely the second best underwater kiss ever.

The next morning after breakfast, I found Annabeth standing outside her cabin, waiting for me. She was wearing an "I Love NY" T-Shirt with a big red heart in the middle instead of the word 'love' and a pair of cut-off Jean shorts. Her long blond hair was in a high ponytail. She had a small purse slung across her body, resting against her hip. I guessed her knife was somewhere in that purse. She never went anywhere without it. I was dressed pretty similarly, minus the I Love NY t-shirt. Mine was just plain blue. I was glad that I seemed to have dressed appropriately for whatever Annabeth had prepared.

"Hi," I said.

"Hi. Happy Birthday."

"Thank you," I said. "Don't I get a birthday kiss?"

"Maybe if you ask nicely."

I paused, pretending to give what she said some serious thought. "Nah. I'll pass."

She slugged me on the shoulder. "Come on, we don't want to be late."

"Late for what?"

"You'll find out soon enough," she replied.

"Well, if I'm going to find out soon, why don't you just tell me?"

"Come on," she said, rolling her eyes at me.

Annabeth took my hand and we started walking out of camp. Chiron was standing on the porch of The Big House.

"Happy Birthday, Percy!" Chiron called from the porch with a wave.

"Thank you."

"You two enjoy yourselves!" Chiron yelled. "But not too much. Remember, the gods are always watching."

"Thanks!" I called back.

When we made it to the edge of the forest, there was a taxi waiting. Annabeth opened the back door and gestured for me to get in.

"Well?" She said.

"You're really not going to tell me what's going on?" I asked. I trusted her implicitly, but I was still curious.

"Just get in!" She exclaimed.

I climbed into the taxi and Annabeth got in behind me. The taxi sped off, heading towards Brooklyn. I tried to figure out where we could possibly be going. After about a half hour in the back of the taxi, I finally saw a sign that gave me my first clue. The Coney Island Cyclone.

"Are we going where I think we're going?" I asked Annabeth.

She was smiling. "Where do you think we're going?"

"The Cyclone? Hotdogs? Cotton Candy? We're going to Coney Island, aren't we?"

"Well, Seaweed Brain, sometimes you do surprise me."

"Are you serious?" I asked, getting a little more excited than I probably should have been. After all, I wasn't some little kid. "Coney Island?"

"I remember you saying you hadn't been there since you were a kid and I've never been. So even though you've lived here all your life and I've been on Long Island since I was seven, I thought today we could play tourist. Better yet, we can pretend to be two normal teenagers."

"This is going to be amazing! Did I ever tell you how I rode The Cyclone seven times in a row?"

"Did you throw up after?"

I shook my head. "Nope. I think today I'm going to for eight."

"Then you'll be on your own."

I took her hand and smiled. "Thanks for this."

"Happy birthday," she said.

"Can I have that birthday kiss now, please?"  
She leaned towards me and kissed me lightly. I was hoping that there would be a lot more kissing to come.

After another twenty minutes in the back of the taxi, we finally pulled up in front of Luna Park on Coney Island. It was just opening so it wasn't too crowded yet. Annabeth must have somehow prepaid for the taxi because she the guy didn't ask for any money when we got out. We went up to the entrance gates and Annabeth presented two tickets from her purse.

"How did you plan all of this?" I asked.

"Every girl has their secrets."

We walked in and were immediately assaulted with smells of popcorn and fried dough and cooking hot dogs. My stomach rumbled even though I was still full from breakfast. Taking Annabeth by the hand, I brought her immediately over to the Cyclone, the original wooden roller coaster from the 1920's. It was big, it was fast, and it was awesome.

The first time we were on the roller coaster, Annabeth and I sat in the first car. We held our hands above our hands as the coaster zoomed over the track. I laughed at the amount that Annabeth screamed in delight, but she was loving it.

After our fifth time in a row on the ride, we finally took a break to get some junk food. Annabeth got a soft pretzel and I got some blue cotton candy, of which she ate half. We went on a few more rides and walked around together. Like Annabeth had said, it was nice to just be two normal teenagers out on a date together. And that's when I realized that Annabeth and I had never actually gone on a date before. Sure, we spent a lot of alone time out by the lake at camp and we had gone on plenty of quests before where we were alone together, but we had never gone out on an official date. It turned out, I liked going out on dates.

As we walked to the corner of the park, we stopped in front of a ride called "Love Through The Ages." There wasn't anybody in line and the ride looked old. We both looked at each other.

"Do you remember the last time we went through a Tunnel of Love together?" I asked Annabeth.

She nodded. "We were mortified that we'd have to go through together."

"We were twelve."

"I think I was afraid you'd give me cooties," she joked.

"You better watch out or I might just give you cooties," I said, kissing her cheek.

"Eww! Boy germs."

We both laughed. "What do you say?" I asked. "Want to go?"

"Yeah. Let's go."

Hand in hand, we got to the entrance of the ride. We climbed into a two-seater boat that was shaped like a swan. The teenager running the ride who looked bored out of his mind, gave us a speech about keeping our hands and arms inside the swan at all times. With a lurch, the swan boat moved forward. We disappeared into a dark tunnel. Statues of famous couples like Cleopatra and Marc Antony, Romeo and Juliet, and even Bonnie and Clyde were all around us. The paint on the statues was all chipped and there were cobwebs over most everything. Clearly nobody maintained the ride very well. Cheesy romantic elevator music played out of speakers shaped like hearts all around the tunnel. To most other people, it was probably the worst ride ever. But to me and Annabeth, we weren't being attacked by monsters, we weren't afraid for our lives, and we were together. It might have been the best amusement park ride ever.


	9. Chapter 9 - I Say Goodbye

**Chapter 9 – I Say Goodbye**

After we got off the 'Love Through The Ages' ride, Annabeth and I walked around the amusement park and went on every ride several times. As the sun was beginning to set, we walked out onto the beach barefoot, our sneakers slung over our shoulders. The waterfront was busy with sunbathers, kids running around, and lots of people in ill-fitting swimsuits that I'd rather erase from my brain. We managed to find a less crowded area on the beach and stopped to watch the sun go down.

"Happy birthday," Annabeth whispered, squeezing my hand.

"This was the best birthday ever."

She rifled through her purse and pulled out a small, wrapped package with a blue bow around it. She handed it to me.

"Annabeth, this trip was more than enough. You didn't have to get me anything."

"Just open it, Seaweed brain."

I pulled off the bow and unwrapped the gift. It was a small flip phone. I had never owned a cell phone in my life.

"Annabeth, you didn't have to…"

"It's a joint gift from me and your mom. I got one too. I already pre-programmed my number in it so that we can keep in touch."

"I love it. Thank you."

I hugged her and it suddenly struck me that we were running out of time. We had had such a good time at the amusement park that I had completely forgotten that she was leaving tomorrow. We had less than twelve hours left. And for some reason it occurred to me that I didn't really have any pictures of me and Annabeth. I guess when you're busy chasing monsters, the idea of taking a photograph wasn't important. We did have one taken at the dance together with our king and queen headgear on, but that was more for Chiron than us.

"You're welcome," she said.

"Let's take a photograph," I suggested. "To commemorate my best birthday ever."

"Even better than your 2nd Sesame Street themed birthday?"

"My mom should never have told you that story," I said, rolling my eyes.

We got close together, cheek to cheek, with the ocean behind his. We both smiled cheesily. Even though the phone Annabeth had given me was pretty simple, it did have the ability to take photos. I turned the phone around so that we could take a photograph of ourselves. Miraculously, we both got in the frame with the first shot, the brilliant sky behind us. It was perfect.

"I guess we should go back," Annabeth said, a sadness in her voice.

"Yeah, I guess."

Together, we walked back down the beach. When we got to the boardwalk, we stopped to put our shoes back on. I was surprised, though, when Annabeth didn't lead us back to the road where I assumed we'd catch another taxi. Instead, she walked past the crowds and down a narrow street that looked pretty abandoned.

"Annabeth, what are we…" I began.

But then I saw him. Blackjack. The black Pegasus who had helped me out on more than one occasion. He was in the middle of the road, his black wings so large that they almost touched the buildings on either side of him.

"Hey, boss," Blackjack called.

"Hey Blackjack," I said. "What are you doing all the way out here?"

"Boss lady said you needed a lift," Blackjack answered.

"What's he saying?" Annabeth asked. Because I was the son of Poseidon, I was able to communicate with pegasi. Annabeth, unfortunately, couldn't.

"He called you boss lady," I said.

"Tell him not to call me that," she replied with a smile.

"I've told him not to call me that a million times. It never works."

"Are you ready to go?" Blackjack asked.

"What happened to the taxi?" I asked Annabeth as we walked up to Blackjack.

"I figured by now we'd be tired of pretending to be normal teenagers and that we could hitch a ride home," Annabeth said.

"This really is the best birthday ever," I told her, climbing onto Blackjack's back. Even though I knew she didn't need help, I lowered my hand down and offered it to Annabeth. She took it and climbed up behind me. She put her arms tightly around me and leaned into me. As Blackjack took off into the sky, I turned and kissed Annabeth. I don't know what the mortals saw with the mist, but if anyone could really see us, they'd have seen a teenage boy and teenage girl riding off together on a flying horse into the sunset.

That night, I couldn't sleep. I kept thinking about how Annabeth was leaving in the morning. After we had arrived back at camp from Coney Island, we joined the other campers for a campfire and then Annabeth was sadly whisked away by the other members of her cabin who wanted to say goodbye. My cabin felt lonelier than ever.

After tossing and turning for a few hours, I finally kicked my covers off and decided that sleep was futile. I had half a mind to sneak into Annabeth's cabin, but I had a feeling that I would wake up some of her half brothers and sisters and they wouldn't take too kindly to me being in their cabin. So, instead I walked to my favorite place in camp. The Lake. When I got down closer to the water, I was surprised to see somebody else already there.

"Took you long enough, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth said, staring out over the lake. As usual, she didn't have to turn around to know it was me.

"What are you doing out here?" I asked.

"Waiting for you," she answered.

I walked beside up beside her. The moon was only a small sliver in the sky, but somehow the lake was still illuminated.

"How did you know I would come here?"

"Because I know you better than you think."

We were both silent for a moment.

"I'm going to miss this spot the most I think," Annabeth finally said. "And all the times we spent here."

"This is a really good spot," I added.

"I bet they don't have views like this in Phoenix," she said sadly.

"Don't start doubting yourself," I told her even though it was the opposite of how I was really feeling. I guessed that if I asked Annabeth to stay right then and there, she would have. But that wouldn't have been fair.

"I've always been so good at battle strategy. I can always see the end result and all the steps needed to get there. But I can't see this, Percy. I can't tell if I'm doing the right thing or not."

"You are doing the right thing," I stated.

"Then why does it hurt so much?"

"Annabeth, this has been your home since you were 7 years old. I'd be surprised if it didn't hurt. But saying goodbye doesn't have to be a bad thing. You're branching out. You're going out to become the person you were always meant to be."

A tear rolled down her cheek. "Thank you. I needed to hear that."

"And camp will always be here. And so will I."

She turned to look at me. "Do you promise?"

"I promise."

I put my arms around her and we hugged. Eventually our lips connected and before I knew it, we were tumbling in the grass at the edge of the lake. I suddenly felt this need to feel every inch of her. To be with her in a way I never had been before. We rolled and I was on top of her. Her T-Shirt had ridden up a little, exposing her stomach. Her cheeks were flushed pink. Her hair was splayed out over the grass. Her eyes were dark gray. The way she was looking at me, it was like she was looking into my soul. It took all of my will power, but I rolled off of her. She sat up slowly.

"Did I…did I do something wrong?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest as if covering herself even though she was clearly fully clothed.

"No," I answered quickly. "I just…I don't trust myself right now."

"What…what do you mean?"

"Gods, Annabeth, with you looking like that and us kissing like that. If I don't stop myself now, I…"

"Oh," she said as if finally figuring out why I had to stop kissing her. An awkward silence fell over us. Neither of us knew what to say. "Percy?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For being you," she said.

She scooted closer to me and put her head on my shoulder. I closed my eyes and felt at peace.

I don't know how long I was asleep, but the next thing I know, I was opening my eyes and Annabeth was asleep next to me in the grass, her head using my arm for a pillow. The sun was beginning to rise over the lake. It was morning. Somehow Annabeth and I had fallen asleep together at the lake.

I watched her sleep for a few moments. She looked so peaceful. So beautiful. I brushed a stray piece of hair away from her cheek. She began to stir. Her eyes fluttered open. They were a light grey.

"Good morning," I said.

She sighed. "Good morning."

"You look beautiful."

A blush spread across her cheeks. Annabeth sat up and started looking around. I could see the sleepiness leave her mind and then her body. She jumped up and looked around frantically.

"We fell asleep!" She exclaimed. "Together! We fell asleep out at the lake together. Chiron's going to be…"

I stood up and put my hands on her shoulders. "It's ok."

Her eyes locked on mine. "And I'm leaving today."

I nodded, not needing the painful reminder. "I know. Come on, let's get some breakfast and make sure you're all packed up."

She nodded. I reached out my hand and she took it. Together we walked to the mess hall. If anyone was surprised to see the two of us coming from the lake together at sunrise, nobody said anything. And nobody said anything when Annabeth and I grabbed two bagels and some fruit for breakfast and sat down together at the Poseidon table. Annabeth and I had only sat down at a table together at the dining pavilion once and that when we were discussing if we were going into the labyrinth. Campers from different cabins weren't allowed to sit together at meals. But we didn't care. I had only a few hours left with Annabeth and I was going to make them count. Even Chiron saw us together and didn't say a word.

After breakfast, Annabeth and I did part ways temporarily so we could both shower and change and get ready for the day ahead. Having packed a few days before, Annabeth didn't have much left to do before she left. She said goodbye to her half brothers and sisters from her cabin as well as a few other friends from other cabins. I was waiting for her on the porch of the Big House. Still wearing her orange Camp Half-Blood T-Shirt as if she didn't want to really let the place go, Annabeth walked towards me, rolling a large suitcase behind her.

I didn't know what to say to her and I don't think she knew what to say to me either. Chiron came out of the Big House in his wheelchair. After all, he couldn't take Annabeth to the airport as a centaur.

"Are you ready?" Chiron asked.

Annabeth nodded. Chiron used the ramp in the back of the porch to join us. I took hold of Annabeth's suitcase. To my surprise, she didn't protest. We walked out together. When we reached the road outside camp there was a van waiting with a wheelchair lift. This wasn't an ordinary taxi, though. It was an official Camp Half-Blood transportation van. One of the former campers, who was now a counselor was driving.

After we all piled into the van, we drove in silence. Annabeth and I were sitting right next to each other, holding hands. As we started to see signs for JFK airport, I started to feel a little panicked. It was really happening. After five years together, Annabeth was leaving.

The driver pulled up to the side of the curb at the Departure area of the airport. He went around to help Chiron out while Annabeth and I climbed out. We walked into the airport, dragging Annabeth's suitcase behind us. Before we got to the check-in area, Annabeth stopped and turned to me. She squeezed my hand.

"I love you, Seaweed Brain," she said.

"I love you too."

We kissed and embraced each other with a hug meant to last the several months until we would see each other again. Chiron joined us and we broke apart.

"Annabeth," he said. "I'm very proud of you."

A tear came to Annabeth's eye. Sometimes I forgot just how important Chiron was to Annabeth. Since she had arrived at camp at only seven years old, Chiron was like a father figure to Annabeth. Even though she had become closer to her real father in her teenage years, Chiron was still very important in her life. I had been so focused on me missing Annabeth that I hadn't thought about how Chiron would feel or how she would feel leaving him. I stepped back, giving them in a minute. Annabeth hugged him and he kissed her on the cheek.

"Thank you, Chiron," she said. "Thank you for everything."

"You'll always have a home here, Annabeth," Chiron stated, tears swimming in his eyes. "Just remember that."

"Thank you," she whispered as she hugged him again.

Having said their goodbyes, Chiron wheeled past me.

"Take your time. I'll be in the car when you're ready."

I nodded and he left. As other travelers bustled around us, Annabeth and I came together, hugging once more. She tucked her head under my chin and I held her tightly.

"Am I doing the right thing?" Annabeth whispered to me.

"Yes," I answered even though I wanted to say the opposite. She was doing the right thing and I had to support her.

"Thank you."

She tilted her head back and I kissed her once more. This time it was a little more intense. It was a goodbye kiss.

"I'll see you soon," she said when we parted.

"I love you," I stated.

"I love you, too."

With one last kiss, Annabeth took her suitcase and walked away. She didn't look back.


	10. Chapter 10 - My Mom Gives Me 'The Talk'

**Chapter 10 – My Mom Gives Me 'The Talk'**

Four months later, I was back at the airport, waiting for Annabeth. This time, though, I was in the arrivals area and I had driven myself in my own car. After Annabeth had left at the end of the summer, I spent the last few days of summer at Camp Half-Blood. I was given the option to stay at camp for my senior year of school, but it wouldn't have been the same without Annabeth. I made the choice to go to a private school that I had been accepted into in upstate New York. It wasn't a fancy school. It was more of an alternative school for kids with learning disabilities who didn't do well in other school settings. I had some pretty cool teachers, who we all called by their first name. I lived on the small campus with a roommate named Carl who was a nice enough guy. We didn't have much in common, but we made it work. He has Asperger's Syndrome and had difficulty in public schools. He had been at the school since seventh grade so he was able to basically show me the ropes. The best thing about the school was that for the time I was there, no monsters had attacked me and I hadn't once feared for my life.

The only problem with the school was that I missed Annabeth every day. We texted constantly and sent Iris messages whenever we were both alone, which wasn't very often. Even though Annabeth lived in a dorm room alone, we were both pretty busy with school and things. Annabeth told me all about her internship. She was loving it. Spending every day working with real architects was Annabeth's dream come true. I think a small part of me would have been ecstatic if she hated it and wanted to come home, but I was happy for her.

For Christmas, I invited Annabeth to stay at my mom's with me. My mom and her husband Paul were happy to have her and I was excited just to see her. Annabeth made a plan to fly to New York the morning of Christmas Eve. She would have to go back on the 26th, the day after Christmas, but as long as I got to spend time with her, I didn't care.

I stood in the arrivals waiting area of the airport, holding a bouquet of colorful flowers. I looked up at the arrivals board and saw that her plane had finally landed. Any minute, she'd come walking through a set of double doors and into my arms.

Moments later, people started streaming through the doors. Some went straight towards the baggage claim. Others embraced loved ones who were waiting for them. I continued to wait. I didn't see Annabeth. I started to panic. Maybe she had missed her flight. Maybe she couldn't come. I took my phone out of my pocket to see if she had sent me a message. There was nothing. I looked up. Annabeth was finally coming through the door with a big smile on her face. I practically ran towards her and threw my arms around her. She dropped her bag onto the ground and embraced me too.

"Hi," I said. "Welcome home."

"Thanks," she replied.

I kissed her. She tasted like I remembered. Actually, it was better than I remembered. I wanted to keep kissing her, but decided we should save that for when we weren't in such a public area.

"Sorry I took so long," Annabeth said. "I was the last one off the plane and it took forever to get everyone off. There was this screaming toddler that they couldn't get to move and…"

"I've missed you," I interrupted.

"I missed you, too."

"These are for you."

I handed her the flowers I was holding. She beamed.

"They're beautiful. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Come on," I said, taking her hand. "My mom can't wait to see you." I picked her bag up off the floor and slung it over my shoulder. We started walking out of the airport. We made our way to where I had parked my car in a parking garage.

"So…this is it, huh?" Annabeth asked, looking at my car. I had contacted her with an Iris message when I first bought it. She was proud of me. I had saved up money from working in a stockroom at a store near my school. The job wasn't glamorous, but it kept me busy when I wasn't in school and earned me enough money to buy my car. The car I purchased certainly wasn't a junker, but it wasn't new either. I had bought the car used. It was about ten years old, but it was reliable and got me where I needed to go, mostly to and from work. I liked the new-found freedom that car gave me. Sure, I was good as using public transportation and you didn't really need a car in New York City, but having a car made me feel free.

"Yup," I said proudly.

"I like it," Annabeth complimented.

I opened her passenger side door. "My lady," I said.

She laughed and got in. I closed the door behind her and got in on the driver's side. Before I started the car, I leaned over and kissed her properly. She responded with equal passion, our hands tangled in each other's hair.

"Wow, I missed that," Annabeth breathed when we parted.

"Me too."

As I started the car, Annabeth put her hand on my knee. Feeling her touch made me miss her even more.

Later that night, my mom, Paul, Annabeth, and I were sitting in my mom's parlor in front of a crackling fire in the fireplace. The Christmas tree was lit up in the corner with sparkling colorful lights. We had just finished decorating it with the ornaments from my childhood. My mom had even bought Annabeth a few ornaments. She had bought a set of miniature versions of the biggest skyscrapers in New York. Annabeth loved them. I had a feeling that she never really had many of her own ornaments at home, nor did she have very many traditions with her own family. It was nice that my mom was including her in ours. We had homemade cookies and milk for dinner and were listening to some classical Christmas songs on Paul's record player. Annabeth and I were sitting against the couch, our shoulders touching, our legs outstretched to the fireplace. My mom and Paul were cuddling together on the loveseat. A few years ago I would have thought that was gross, but I was happy to see my mom happy. And I'm pretty sure she was happy to see me happy too.

Annabeth yawned. She leaned her head against my shoulder and closed her eyes.

"You must be exhausted," my mom said to Annabeth. "You've spent most of the day traveling and then we forced into decorating."

"No, I loved decorating with you," Annabeth replied. "Thank you for including me."

"It's been a pleasure having you," Paul said. "Percy is a very lucky young man. As am I."

"Except you're not a young man," my mom teased.

Annabeth looked over at me. I had this odd sense that one day I'd like that to be us. I could picture Annabeth and I in ten or twenty years, sitting together in our own place, still as in love as we were as teenagers. I wondered if Annabeth thought the same thing.

"We should let you get some sleep," Paul said to Annabeth.

"You can take Percy's room," my mom said. "And Percy will sleep on the couch."

"Oh, I'll be fine on the couch," Annabeth protested.

"Nonsense. I changed his sheets while he was getting you at the airport and it's all ready for you. Percy, I've left blankets and extra pillows for you next to the couch."

"I don't want to displace you," Annabeth said to me.

"Don't worry about it," I told her. I like the couch. It's comfy."

"I…"

"Not another word," my mother said. "You'll be sleeping in Percy's room and Percy will be sleeping on the couch."

"Alright," Annabeth finally agreed. "Thank you."

"Come on," my mom said. "I'll show you where you can get towels and things."

My mom stood up, as did Annabeth. They disappeared together, leaving me alone with Paul. Even though I liked Paul, I hadn't spent much time alone with him.

"So…" Paul said. "Your mom asked me to…ah…talk to you."

"About what?" I asked.

"Well, about…about Annabeth and about…growing up."

I wrinkled my nose. I was really hoping Paul wasn't about to have the sex talk with me. It would be weird enough coming from my father. No matter my mother's husband who I didn't even know that well.

"Look, I don't…" I began.

"I'm not giving you details," Paul interrupted. I could tell he was as nervous and feeling awkward about this talk as I was. "And I'm not going to ask what you and Annabeth have or haven't done. Just…be smart. And be respectful."

"I would never disrespect Annabeth," I stated and I meant it.

"I know. You're a good kid, Percy."

My mom reappeared in the doorway. She came and sat down next to Paul.

"Did you talk to him?" She asked.

"I was starting to."

"Percy, I know you and Annabeth have spent a lot of unsupervised time together on your quests," my mom said.

"Mom, please don't…" I began. This was getting worse than when Paul started talking to me. I did not want to have this conversation with my mom.

"I was a teenager once too, Percy. I know how teenagers think. But you are in our house and I am going to be the very uncool mom who is asking you not to have sex while Annabeth is visiting. I'm not going to be the kind of mom who is in denial about having a teenage boy. I know what teenage boys think about. And I know you and Annabeth have been away from each other for a long time, but I'm just asking you to be respectful of my rules. I don't want you in your room together with the door closed. You're still a teenager, Percy. And…"

"Mom!" I shouted, needing her to stop talking. I was getting more embarrassed by the second.

"Alright, alright, I'll stop."

I'm sure my cheeks were red. My mom and I had never officially had 'the talk' and I certainly hadn't had it with my dad, but I didn't need it now. Annabeth and I hadn't even really talked about sex yet. That was a conversation I wanted to have with her, not my mom or step-father.

"I think Percy got the message," Paul said. "Let's go to bed, too. After all, it's Christmas Eve. We've got to go to bed early so Santa Claus comes."

"Goodnight Percy," my mom said, coming over to kiss me on top of my head.

"Goodnight, mom."

"Can you make sure you put the fire out before you go to bed?" Paul asked.

"Don't worry," I assured him. "I'm really good at dousing things with water."

"Sweet dreams, son."

My mom and Paul walked off down the hallway towards their bedroom. I had to sort of block it out that my mom shared a room with Paul. I mean, I knew they were married, but who wants to think about their mom being with someone? Ewww. I looked over at the fire. Paul had placed a water bucket on the hearth next to the fire. I guess you could never be too careful. As much as I was enjoying the fire, I knew I should put it out in case I accidentally fell asleep. Without even touching the bucket, I sent the water from inside onto the flames. They were immediately doused and the logs started sizzling. I looked to the side of the couch where my mom had put the blankets and pillows. On top of the pile was Annabeth's Yankees cap. I had no clue how Annabeth managed to put it there, but I had an idea what I wanted to use it for.

I quickly went into the bathroom and changed into a T-Shirt and sweat pants that my mom had left out for me. She had thought of everything just so I wouldn't have to go into my room where Annabeth was. I brushed my teeth and ran a hand through my black hair. As always, it was a bit of a mess, but I didn't care. I went back into the living room and put on Annabeth's hat. I immediately disappeared. I couldn't even see my own body. I tiptoed down the hall. Even though I was invisible, my feet could still make noise against the hardwood floor. I went to my room and stopped. I listened through the door, but didn't hear anything. I knocked quietly, hoping my mom and Paul wouldn't hear. After all, my mom had made it perfectly clear that Annabeth and I were not to be in my room alone together.

The door opened. I slipped inside and took the Yankees cap off my head. Annabeth wasn't surprised to see me. She was in a red and green striped shirt with a reindeer on the front. Her fuzzy pajama pants matched the shirt. Her hair was down, the locks flowing over her shoulders. In other words, she looked adorable.

"Hi," I said.

"Hi. I see you found my hat."

"I did."

"I heard what your mom said about us not being in this room together."

"That's embarrassing," I muttered. It was bad enough for me to hear what my mom said. I hadn't wanted Annabeth to hear it too.

"She's just concerned about you, Percy."

"I think she's concerned about you. She thinks I want to jump your bones every second."

"And do you?"

I didn't know how to answer. Because the answer was 'yes.' Annabeth and my physical reaction to each other had grown all summer long and I was at the point where I was ready to take it to the next step.

I answered Annabeth with a kiss.


	11. Chapter 11 - Annabeth Wears My Shirt

**Chapter 11 – Annabeth Wears My Shirt**

The kiss Annabeth and I shared was deep and intimate and really, really good. My arms snaked around her and she looped her arms around my neck. I could feel her body go a little limp and I think for the first time I realized what feeling 'weak in the knees' felt like. I peppered a trail of kisses down Annabeth's neck. She gasped and her eyes closed. Annabeth began walking backwards and I followed her, never giving up contact with her body. When she hit the bed, she allowed herself to fall backwards. I fell on top of her, but was sure to keep most of my weight off of her. Our lips found each other again and we kissed frantically. I had to stop myself from moaning out loud when Annabeth started kissing my jaw and down my adam's apple. Without really thinking about it, I sat up a little and removed my shirt. I threw it onto the floor. Annabeth's eyes widened and she took in my naked torso. She had, of course, seen me with my shirt off before, but never when we were rolling around in a bed together. She reached up and placed her hand against my chest. Her hands were cold. My body shuddered, but it was a good feeling. I liked her touching me. I leaned down and kissed her again and again.

As my hand roamed down her body, I found the bottom of her night shirt. I began pulling it up. My fingers traced every inch of skin I was exposing. She was beautiful. Her shirt eventually passed her breasts. She was wearing a white bra. It was the most I had ever seen of Annabeth and I really liked it. She sat up a little and I managed to take her shirt off of her. I threw it. It hit my desk. We both heard a crash. An open cup of soda I had left there spilled.

"Percy!" She exclaimed.

"Leave it," I mumbled, kissing her again. My hand went to her shoulder. I tried to push her bra strap down off her shoulder and all of a sudden I felt her go stiff underneath me. I looked into her eyes and she looked scared.

"Annabeth?" I asked. "Are you ok?"

"I…I…"

She put her hand against my chest, but it wasn't like last time. It didn't feel inviting. She applied some pressure, pushing me off of her. I sat up, losing physical contact with her. She reached for her shirt, but it was covered in soda.

"I'm sorry," she said, frantically trying to grab something to cover herself up. I offered her my shirt from the floor. She took it and pulled it over her head. She turned away from me.

"Annabeth, what's wrong?"

"I'm sorry," she repeated.

"You don't have to be sorry. Just talk to me. Did I do something wrong? Did I push too hard?"

"No, I…I don't know what's wrong with me."

"Nothing's wrong with you," I told her. "Annabeth, you know I'd never make you do anything you don't want to do."

"I want to…be with you, Percy. I do. I'm just not…ready. I thought I was, but…" she trailed off. "I'm sorry."

"It's ok," I told her.

"I don't want you to find somebody else just because I won't…"

"Find somebody else? What would make you say that?"

"Caroline says that if I don't…if I don't sleep with you soon, you'll find somebody else who will."

I knew Caroline was one of the girls who was in the program with Annabeth. She and Annabeth had become friends. I was glad she had someone there she could talk to, but I didn't like the idea that Caroline was giving her horrible advice.

"What? That's the most ridiculous things I've ever heard. You don't actually believe that do you?" She didn't answer. "Annabeth?"

"I can't help but think that she might be right. I mean, look at you, Percy. You're gorgeous. Girls are probably throwing themselves at your feet."

"Nobody has ever thrown themselves at my feet," I said.

"You know what I mean."

"No, I don't. I don't care about any other girl but you. And just because we don't…you know…doesn't mean I'm going to go do it with someone else. If you're not ready, you're not ready and we'll wait until you are."

"I just don't want to disappoint you," she said.

"You could never disappoint me. I mean that."

I took Annabeth's hand and brought it to my lips. I kissed her knuckles lightly. I wanted her to know that I still loved her no matter what. I mean, sure, I would be lying if I didn't say I wanted to go further with Annabeth. I mean, we had been together for a while and I was a teenage boy, but I understood that she needed more time. I would wait forever for her.

"Thank you," she said.

"I guess I should go back out to the couch," I said even though I really didn't want to sleep on the couch.  
"Or you could stay…" she suggested.

"You want me to stay?"

"If you want to."

"I do want to," I said.

She smiled. "Good."

She laid down on my bed on her right side, her back against the wall that my bed was next to. I laid down next to her on my left side so that we were facing each other. I rested my arm on her hip. Our noses were practically touching. Annabeth fell asleep first. I knew she was tired from her traveling. I watched her eyes glow and breathing grow steady. I watched her until I, too, succumbed to sleep.

When I woke up the next morning, I saw Annabeth sitting at my desk in my grey T-Shirt and her fuzzy pajama pants. She was clearly concentrating on something. That's when I heard the sound of wrapping paper. She was wrapping something. I decided to just watch her rather than announce the fact that I was awake. When she was done, I expected her to come back to bed with me or, at the very least, turn around to see if I was awake. But she didn't. She picked up the wrapped gift and tiptoed out the door. She didn't close it completely behind her. I smiled, realizing that she was going to put the gift under the tree in the living room. That's when I heard my mom's voice.

"Good morning," my mother said. I assumed she was sitting at the kitchen table, probably sipping coffee. Since the kitchen was right outside my bedroom door, I could hear everything that was being said.

I decided I needed to get up then and save Annabeth from whatever it as that my mom was about to say. After all, Annabeth and I did spend the night together in my room, which my mom explicitly forbade.

"Miss. Jackson…I mean Mrs. Blofis…I…" I heard Annabeth stutter.

I scrambled out of bed, looking for a shirt to throw on so that I could go intervene.

"I told you to call me Sally, Annabeth."

"I'm sorry," Annabeth replied.

"Annabeth…"

"I know what you must be thinking. I promise you, nothing happened," Annabeth rambled. "Percy and I just…we fell asleep. And I spilled on my shirt so that's why I'm wearing his shirt. We didn't…we didn't…"

I pulled on a clean shirt. Just as I was about to come out of my room to help Annabeth, I heard my mother's voice. It was cool and calm. She wasn't angry. I shouldn't have been too surprised. My mom was pretty cool.

"Annabeth," my mom interrupted. "Merry Christmas."

That was not what I was expecting.

"Merry Christmas," Annabeth said tentatively.

"Please, sit. I'll be making blueberry pancake soon. As soon as Paul and Percy get up. It's tradition on Christmas."

"I can help," Annabeth said.

"Don't be silly. You're a guest here. Can I get you something to drink? Coffee? Tea? Hot chocolate?"

"I haven't had a hot chocolate since I was a kid."

"You still are a kid," my mom reminded Annabeth. "I'll make you one."

I listened from my bedroom. I know it was eavesdropping, but I was curious to see where this conversation was going to go.

"I'm just going to put this under the tree," Annabeth said.

I heard her footsteps as she walked into the living room. I couldn't see her, but I presumed she put the gift she had wrapped under the tree and then returned to the kitchen with my mom.

"Annabeth," my mom said. "I wanted to tell you how happy I am that you're here. You're really good for Percy. I can see how much love you have for each other. As a mother, I think I always feared the day that he would bring home someone who I thought would someday take him away from me."

"I don't want to take him away from you."

"I know. I couldn't imagine anyone better for him than you. And girl to girl, don't ever let him or any man dictate your life or treat you poorly or pressure into doing something you don't want to do. I spent too many years of my life with Gabe and I missed out on having a life. And if Percy is ever disrespectful to you, I'll whoop his behind."

Annabeth laughed. I had to stifle my own laugh so they didn't know I was listening.

"He's very respectful," Annabeth said. "And don't worry. I know how to put him in his place."

This time my mom laughed. "I'm sure you do. And Annabeth?"

"Yes?"

"I know that your mother isn't in the picture every often."

"That's an understatement," Annabeth murmured.

"And Percy has told me that you're not very close to your step-mother."

"She's ok. But she's busy with the boys and their live in San Francisco."

"I'm just saying that if you ever need someone to talk to or need advice about anything, I'm here for you. I mean, I know you're practically a grown-up and that you and Percy have gone through so much more than any regular teenager and you probably don't need me, but, I just wanted to offer. I'm here for you and Percy whenever you need it."

I couldn't see what happened next, but I could guess. From the sound of chairs scraping on the floor, I had a feeling that my mom and Annabeth were hugging. And I had a feeling that my mom probably had a tear in her eye.

"Merry Christmas!" Paul exclaimed. I heard him walking into the kitchen and I knew it was my turn to come out. I opened my bedroom door and went out into the kitchen to join everyone.

"Merry Christmas," I said, kissing my mom on top of her head before going to sit down next to Annabeth. She smiled at me, a cup of hot chocolate in front of her. She didn't know that I had heard the entire conversation between her and my mom. I decided that would be my little secret.

"Merry Christmas," my mom and Annabeth echoed back.

"Who's ready for blueberry pancakes?" My mom asked.

"You sit, Sally. I'll make them this year," Paul offered.

"Paul Blofis, you sit down," my mother commanded. "This is my annual Christmas breakfast. You don't get to take it away from me that easily. Besides, you're in charge of the turkey for dinner."

"You got yourself a deal," Paul said, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

"Mom, can I get a hot chocolate?" I asked.

"Make it yourself," my mother replied, but she was smiling.

"Ok, ok," I said.

I made myself an instant hot chocolate and sat back down with Annabeth. We all chatted while my mom made us pancakes. I helped Paul set the table and we all sat down together to have a delicious Christmas breakfast.

After breakfast, Annabeth and I did the dishes. It was the least we could do since my mom and Paul were doing pretty much everything else for the day. When we were done, we headed into the living room. There were several presents under the Christmas tree that hadn't been there the night before. My mom opened her gift from Paul first. It was a pretty diamond necklace. Paul helped her clasp it around her neck. My mom gave Paul a new writing notebook and a fountain pen with his name engraved on it. It reminded me a little of Riptide, but I guessed it didn't turn into a sword when Paul clicked the top. My mom gave Annabeth a book of the world's biggest skyscrapers. Annabeth started reading it immediately. I handed Annabeth my gift. She unwrapped it quickly. It was a framed photo of us from the day we had gone to Coney Island. I had put it in a New York City picture frame that I had picked up at one of those cheesy tourist gift shops downtown.

"I love it," she said.

"It's so you always remember that day."

"I'll never forget that day," she stated.

"Me either."

As the presents under the tree dwindled, there were only two left. They were about the same size. Two flat packages. Annabeth took each of them. She handed one to me and one to my mom.

"Oh, Annabeth, you didn't have to get me anything," my mom said.

"It's not much," Annabeth replied. "I just hope you like it."

My mom opened it. It was an 8x10 architectural drawing of the small cottage my mom and I used to stay in when we went to the beach. It was the cottage where my mom met my dad. Where I was conceived. Around the architectural drawing that Annabeth had so expertly drew in neat pencil lines was brilliant colors of the sunset and sea. Someone had painted around Annabeth's drawing to make it look real. It was such a stunning visual.

My mom gasped.

"Oh, Annabeth, it's beautiful," My mom said. "Did you…did you do this?"

"Not the painting," Annabeth explained. "I was able to look up the cottage online and get the specs for it. I drew the building and a friend of mine did the outside."

"Well, it's perfect," my mom said. And I couldn't agree more. It was really cool. Next, it was my turn. I opened Annabeth's gift and found a larger picture than what my mom got. Mine was an architectural drawing of camp. Every detail was there. My cabin, Athena's cabin, the dining hall, the Big House. It was beautiful.

"Wow," I said. "This is amazing. Thank you."

"You're welcome," she said with a smile.

I leaned over and kissed her. It was a little weird kissing Annabeth in front of my mom and Paul, but I didn't care. A gift like that deserved a kiss. And besides, I wanted to kiss Annabeth as many times as I could before she had to leave again.


	12. Chapter 12 - I Take A Road Trip

**Chapter 12 – I Take A Road Trip**

After I drove Annabeth back to the airport on December 26th, we didn't see each other again. We still texted and sent Iris messages, but as the months ticked by, I missed her more and more. I finished out my senior year at the school in Upstate New York with no problems. My mom and Paul came to my graduation and cheered from the stands, which was embarrassing, but also really nice. It had taken me a lot to actually get to graduation. I wish Annabeth had been there, but she was busy with the architect company and she couldn't make the trip. She told me how the firm was planning a new building in downtown Phoenix and she was working on researching new materials that would be more eco-friendly. Every time she talked about work or school, I could tell she was really happy. I tried to be happy for her, but the more she talked about what she was doing in Phoenix, the less we talked about camp.

The day after graduation, I found myself back at Camp Half-Blood. With some kids still in school for a few more days, the camp was only half full. Chiron had welcomed me back with open arms and asked me about Annabeth. It sounded like he had talked to her even less than I had. I told him that she was doing well and he seemed genuinely happy for her, but I also knew that he missed her too.

I ate alone the first night at camp and, of course, slept alone in my cabin. I was going through the motions, but wasn't really as excited to be at camp as I used to be. After six nights of feeling blah, I was getting pretty bored. Sure, there were still epic sword fights and capture the flag games and I even tried improving my archery skills, but that wasn't exactly working out. I did, however, broke my best time climbing the rock wall. I even took Blackjack for a midnight fly over New York one night. But I still felt lonely and bored. Camp wasn't camp without Annabeth.

"Dude," Harry said one sunny say while we were preparing to duel. "You ok?"

I realized I was trying to put my breastplate on backwards. I immediately righted it.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Why don't you just go visit her?" He asked.

I don't know why, but it surprised me that Harry knew why I was so distracted. I mean, I guess I had been pretty miserable recently and Harry was my friend.

"She hasn't invited me," I answered.

And that was true. Annabeth had never asked me to visit. I wasn't sure if it was because she knew I couldn't use an airplane or if she just didn't want me to see her there. It was like she had this whole other life there that I wasn't a part of.

"So?" Harry replied. "Go anyway. Make the grand gesture."

I thought about that phrase. Grand gesture. It had worked once before for me. When Annabeth and I had gotten in a fight about the dance and whether we were an official couple, I had made the grand gesture and brought her out on the lake and asked her to be my girlfriend. That had been great. Maybe Harry was right. Maybe I needed to go to Phoenix and wow Annabeth.

"Thanks Harry!" I called as I dropped my armor and made a bee-line for my cabin.

"What about our duel?" He yelled back.

I ignored him. I had some packing to do.

A few days later, I pulled into a parking lot in sunny Phoenix, Arizona. I rolled down my window to collect a parking ticket. The air was stifling. Phoenix was hot. I found an empty parking spot and got out. It felt good to stretch my legs. I had been driving for two straight days in my old, reliable car. Thankfully I hadn't had any car trouble or monster trouble on the way.

I turned to look at the building in front of me. It was huge. Now, I've lived in New York my whole life so I've seen skyscrapers, but this place blew them all out of the water. It was modern and interestingly shaped. It was almost like a kidney bean. It was the perfect home for an architecture firm. I entered the building. The lobby was decorated in all kinds of colors. One section was all red. Another one was all green. There were comfortable couches, bean bag chairs, and even big screen TV's with attached gaming systems right there in the waiting area. It seemed almost too good to be true.

"Can I help you?" A man with grey hair asked. He was sitting behind a kidney-bean shaped desk. I guess whoever designed this place, really liked kidney beans. He was wearing a headset and had three computer monitors in front of him.

"I'm here to see an employee," I said. "Or a student, I guess."

"What's his or her name?" The man asked.

"Annabeth Chase."

"Ah, Ms. Chase's area is on the sixth floor. Is she expecting you?"

I was afraid if I said 'no' the man wouldn't let me see her. But, then again, if I said 'yes' and my story didn't check out, I was afraid I'd be in trouble too. I decided honesty was the best policy.

"Not exactly," I admitted. "You see, she's my girlfriend, but I live in New York and she lives here and I came here to, you know, do a grand gesture."

The man clapped his hands excitedly. A large smile spread across his face.

"I just love young romance," he said. "Take the elevator to the sixth floor and take a left. The student work spaces are down the hall in room 612."

"Thanks," I said.

"Good luck!"

He handed me a visitor's badge that I clipped to the bottom of my shirt. I thanked him and he pointed me in the direction of the elevators. I hit the 'up' button and waited. I felt nervous. Should I have told Annabeth I was visiting? What if she was angry? The elevator door opened. I stepped inside and rode it up to the sixth floor. My palms got sweatier with each floor I climbed.

When the elevator doors finally opened, I stepped out into a long hallway. The walls were bright white. Each office that lined the hallway was made of glass. I walked by, hoping no one would ask me where I was going. I followed the receptionist's directions and headed to room 612. There were three desks in the room, all facing each other in a triangle shape with just a gaping hole in the middle. It seemed like an odd formation, but who was I to judge? Each desk had a nameplate. One said Josh, the other Caroline, and the third desk said Annabeth. I went over to her desk. I noticed there was a framed photograph, but it wasn't the one I had given her for Christmas. It wasn't even a photograph of us. It was of her, an Asian girl with long black hair, and a smiling, good-looking blond guy. I had never seen them before. The guy had his arm around Annabeth's shoulder. That did not make me happy. Other than the photograph, Annabeth's desk was pretty plain. She had a closed sketchbook along with a cup of sharpened pencils. The other desks were basically the same. Not knowing where she was, I wondered if I should text her. As I was about to walk out of the room, I noticed something sticking out of the bottom drawer of Annabeth's desk. I opened it slightly and saw her Yankees Cap. The bill had gotten stuck in the drawer. I was shocked that she would leave such an important item behind. That hat had saved us on more than one occasion and wasn't something you'd want someone else to find. As I picked up the hat, I heard Annabeth's voice from down the hall. She was obviously talking to someone. Then I heard her laugh following by some male laughter. I knew I shouldn't have, but I instinctively put the hat on my head. I disappeared. As Annabeth and the unknown man entered the office, I slipped over to the corner so that Annabeth wouldn't accidentally bump into me.

I looked at Annabeth. She was in a black pencil skirt that fell to her knees and a red button-down blouse. Her hair was pulled back in a low pony tail and I was pretty sure she had makeup on. She looked older than I remembered. She certainly wasn't the same orange T-Shirt wearing girl I knew back at camp. I was trying to rack my brain, but I couldn't remember a single time I had seen Annabeth in anything but Jeans, except the dance of course. The whole thing felt…off.

"We should try it sometime," the man said. I recognized him as the guy from the photograph on Annabeth's desk. He had clean cut blond hair, bright blue eyes, and muscles that were actually visible through the sleeves of his polo shirt.

"I don't know if I'd be very good at it," Annabeth replied.

"Oh, come on, you know everything."

"Not everything."

The man sat down at the desk that said Josh. At least now I had a face to put with the name. He looked like he was maybe a year or two older than me and Annabeth. He reclined in his desk chair, leaning back and stretching his arms above his head.

"It's just trivia. It'll be fun."

"Ok. We should invite Caroline, too," Annabeth said.

"Yeah, we could. Or we could check it out ourselves."

That made me angry. He was obviously asking her out. I had to stop myself from ripping off the Yankees cap and challenging the guy to a duel.

"We should get to class," Annabeth suggested, picking up a bag from beside her desk.

"Alright, just think about it."

"I will," Annabeth said with a smile. For a split second, Annabeth looked over in my direction. I half expected she'd run into my arms. But then I remembered I was invisible. I couldn't exactly just rip off the Yankees cap with Josh in the room. So I watched Annabeth and Josh walk out. I knew I should have just let them go and just text Annabeth to let her know I was in town and pretend I had never been in her office, but that's not what I did. With the Yankees cap still on my head, I followed Josh and Annabeth to the elevators. I stayed off to the side as they waited for the elevator doors to open.

"Did you finish your project?" Josh asked Annabeth.

The doors opened. Annabeth and Josh walked in. I followed them, being sure to tuck myself into the corner so they didn't accidentally run into me. Unfortunately, Josh was standing so close to Annabeth that I had more space than they did.

"Almost," Annabeth answered. "The design is done. I just need to finish the writing piece."

"I know writing is hard with your dyslexia," Josh said. "I could help you."

I knew Annabeth's dyslexia wasn't a secret, just like mine wasn't either. Every kid in every school I had ever gone to knew I had trouble reading, but it still stung that Annabeth had confided in this guy. And last I knew, Annabeth hadn't needed help with anything.

"I'd like that," Annabeth said. "Thanks."

I saw Josh smirk. I really didn't like this guy. They rode the elevator down in silence and I followed them out when the doors opened at the lobby level.

"Miss Chase!" The receptionist exclaimed. He was the same guy who had given me the visitor's pass. "How was your visit?"

Annabeth looked at him, confused. Of course she was confused. I didn't even tell her I was there.

"Ah…good. Thanks," Annabeth answered politely although she still was clueless. The receptionist looked disappointed. Whatever love story he was looking for, Annabeth wasn't giving him the ending he wanted.

I followed Annabeth and Josh out the doors and down the street. A few blocks later, they turned and walked into an old-looking stone building. I debated whether I was going to follow them inside, but then decided against it. I wasn't interested in sitting through some architecture class when all I'd really be doing is watching how Josh was looking at Annabeth. I ducked behind a tree, looked around to make sure no one could see me, and took off the Yankees cap. Immediately my body became visible. I found a bench in the shade, sat down, and waited.


	13. Chapter 13 - I Become Un-Invisible

**Chapter 13 – I Become Un-Invisible**

I sat on the bench outside Annabeth's class for about an hour. I was starting to really sweat in the dry, Phoenix heat when I heard people coming out of the building. I stood up and planted myself in the middle of the walkway that led out of the building. There's no way Annabeth could miss me.

"Seriously, she's so annoying," Josh was saying. "How is it possible that she always has a question? Even the professor gets annoyed with her!"

"Yeah, the last question about window structure was really…"

"Ridiculous!"

They both started laughing. Clearly there was some kind of inside joke between them that I didn't understand. What they were talking about wasn't very funny to me.

Annabeth immediately stopped laughing when she saw me. Her eyes grew wide.

"Percy!" Annabeth exclaimed.

When I had been driving to Phoenix, I had this vision of what it would be like to see Annabeth again after so much time had passed. I imagined she would have run into my arms and that we would have kissed like never before. That wasn't what happened. She simply stared at me like I was a desert mirage and she was trying to figure out if I was real or not. I noticed that Josh was staring at me, too. He didn't look pleased.

"Hi," I said lamely.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"I thought I'd surprise you."

"Well, I...I am surprised."

She seemed flustered, but then finally smiled and walked over to me. We hugged, but it wasn't anything like I had imagined it would be.

"Josh, this is Percy," Annabeth introduced us. I noticed she didn't say 'this is my boyfriend Percy.' Nope. Just plain old Percy, which seemed unfair considering the effort I had gone through on the lake to officially ask her to be my girlfriend.

"It's nice to meet you," Josh said, extending his right hand to me. I didn't shake his hand. I wondered if this was how Annabeth had felt when we had to ask Rachel Elizabeth Dare for help getting through the labyrinth. I was not interested in being nice to Josh.

"I'll...I'll catch up with you later," Annabeth said to Josh.

"Sure, ok," Josh replied, giving me the evil eye. He walked away, glancing back once at Annabeth. I did not like that glance.

"Percy, I can't believe you're here," Annabeth said, not noticing that Josh had turned to look at her. "How did you get here?"

"I drove," I answered simply.

"Why didn't you text me or send me an Iris message that you were coming?"

I shrugged. This really wasn't going how I had planned.

"Do I need to tell my girlfriend that I'm about to surprise her with a visit?"

"Of course not. I…"

"I thought you'd be happy," I interrupted.

"I am. I am happy." She took my hand. "I'm sorry. You just caught me off guard, that's all. Can we start over?" Before I could answer, Annabeth threw her arms around my neck and kissed me hard on the mouth. For a split second, I had to decide if I was going to be mad at her, but with the feeling of her lips against mine, my walls broke down and I couldn't think of anything else but tasting her.

"Thank you for coming," she said when we parted. "I'm really excited you're here."

I smiled. It sounded like she meant it.

"I've really missed you," I told her.

"I've missed you too. Are you hungry? We can catch up over pizza."

I nodded. That sounded like a great idea. Hand in hand, Annabeth showed me around the campus. It didn't exactly look like what I was expecting. The campus wasn't one of those lush, old looking places that you picture when you think of a college. This campus was right in the middle of downtown Phoenix. The architecture building Annabeth worked at was basically in the middle of campus. As we walked, Annabeth explained how the college was specifically built and designed for students in internship programs. There were different kinds of businesses all over campus. It did sound pretty cool.

We walked to a pizza place on campus and sat down in a booth opposite each other. We ordered two diet cokes and a large pepperoni pizza to share. Things felt a little awkward, which was weird because ever since we had started dating, things with Annabeth were not awkward.

"So, how was your drive out here?" Annabeth asked as we waited for our pizza.

"Fine," I answered.

"And how's camp?"

I should have said 'not the same without you,' but that's not what came out of my mouth.

"Fine," I repeated.

"Oh."

Silence fell between us and I knew I should ask her a question about how she was doing.

"How's school and work and everything?" I finally asked.

Annabeth seemed to perk up a little bit. "It's good. Josh and I are working on a project for the firm. We've been…"

"Oh, Josh and you are working together, huh?" I interrupted.

"Yeah. And Caroline. It's a great project."

"Exactly how much time are you and Josh spending together?"

I hadn't meant the question to come out so sarcastically, but it did. Annabeth furrowed her brow.

"We go to school together."

"And work at the firm together," I added.

"Well, yeah. We're in the same program. What's going on, Percy?"

"I told you, I came here to visit you because I miss you."

"I miss you, too," she said, but there was something about the way she said it that irked me.

"You're not acting like it," I snapped.

"What do you want me to say? You've caught me off guard. You just…showed up here…"

"To surprise you," I reminded her.

"And I am surprised. And I am happy to see you. But now the way you're acting…"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Before Annabeth could answer, the waitress brought our pizza over, silencing us both. Neither of us touched it. We sat without talking, our eyes not meeting.

"I've been missing camp," Annabeth admitted. It sounded like she was trying to extend an olive branch to me, but I didn't want to hear it.

"You seem pretty happy here."

"I am, but that doesn't mean I don't miss camp. It doesn't mean I don't miss you."

She reached her hand across the table as another gesture of peace, but I didn't put my hand over hers. Eventually she withdrew her hand. She looked down, staring at the uneaten pizza.

"Where's our photo?" I asked her.

She looked confused and I realized I blew my cover. Annabeth had no idea that I had been rummaging through her desk. Nor did she know I had followed her and Josh to class and waited for them to come out.

"What?"

I took her Yankees cap out of my back pocket where I had shoved it and put it on the table. Annabeth stared at it and then locked eyes with me. She looked betrayed. I felt awful. I didn't know what was wrong with me. I had driven all the way to Phoenix to have a happy reunion with my girlfriend and I was ruining the whole thing.

"You were at my workspace?" She questioned.

"I can't believe you left your hat sitting in an office where you work. Anyone could have…"

"It was in my desk!" She exclaimed. "And you're not the boss of me. That hat was fine."

"Back at camp you used to take it with you everywhere. Do you leave your knife in your desk too?"

"I'm not at camp," she stated through gritted teeth.

"No, but I thought you were smarter than that."

Annabeth stood up. She grabbed her bag and slid out of the booth. She stormed off and out of the restaurant. I threw a twenty dollar bill on the table, grabbed her Yankees cap, and went off after her.

"Annabeth!" I called after her.

She was making her way quickly down the sidewalk.

"Leave me alone, Percy," she said, not turning around.

"Can we talk?"

This time she did swing around to face me. I stopped a few feet in front of her.

"Until you're ready to have a mature conversation, I don't think so."

Before she could turn around, I said something I regretted immediately.

"Are you running off to see Josh?"

Annabeth's jaw dropped. "What? You are unbelievable."

I don't know why, but I kept pushing. I wanted everything out in the open and it seemed like arguing was the only way to accomplish that.

"So, you're not denying it?"

"There is nothing going on between me and Josh!" Annabeth spat. "We're just friends. And I can't believe I even have to say that out loud."

"Well, maybe I would believe you if I didn't see the way you act together."

"What are you talking about?"

"All of the laughing and flirting," I pointed out.

"Flirting? Really?"

"I saw you two! I heard him invite you to trivia and the way he wants to help you with your project."

"How did you…" she began. I saw the lightbulb go off in her mind. Annabeth was the daughter of the goddess of wisdom, after all. "Oh my gods. You were there in our workspace eavesdropping! You followed us! You followed us from my workspace to our class? I can't believe you, Percy!"

"Would you have told me about Josh if I hadn't seen you two together?"

"There is nothing to tell! We are just friends! I'm sorry that I am having a good time here and that I am enjoying my summer, but you have no right to come here and accuse me of…"

"Then where's our photograph?"

"What?"

"On your desk you have a picture of you and him. His arm is around you, Annabeth!"

"And Caroline is in the picture, too in case you didn't notice. We took that photo after we all aced our first exam. We were celebrating. And I don't need to explain myself to you!"

"Then where's our picture? The one I gave you for Christmas? You have a photograph of them on your desk, but not me?"

"I don't need a photograph of you and me to remind myself that I'm with you, Percy!"

"So, what? You just threw my Christmas present away?"

"I'm not even going to answer that."

"I didn't come here to argue," I said.

"Then why did you sneak into my workspace? Why didn't you just announce your presence?"

"I wanted to surprise you!" I yelled.

"Yet you stole my Yankees cap."

"Well, maybe I wouldn't have had to if Josh wasn't there," I murmured. "Did you even bother to tell him about me? Does he even know you have a boyfriend?"

"Of course I told him about you. Of course he knows!"

"Did you tell him about your mother? About who we really are?"

"No, I wouldn't do that. We're just friends."

"Just friends," I scoffed.

"Do you know how hypocritical you sound?" Annabeth asked.

"Hypocritical?"

"You who have had more…temptation and attention than I ever will!"

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"Rachel? Calypso?"

"Rachel and I weren't even together then! Nothing ever happened between us."

"That's not true and you know it."

Suddenly I realized there were so many things that Annabeth and I had never talked about. For so long, our relationship was just friends and we would sometimes spend more time arguing than not. But underneath it all, we both knew we cared about each other. And we were basically kids. Not to mention that the weight of the half-blood world was almost always on our shoulders. When things were finally ok at the end of that summer and Annabeth and I finally both realized how we really felt about each other, we just swept everything else under the rug and had never had the difficult conversations.

"Rachel kissed me, ok?" I said, remembering when Rachel had kissed my briefly in New York before I hopped on Blackjack to fight Luke, who was really Cronos. At the time, the kiss was confusing and I did enjoy it. But it hadn't taken me long before I realized that Rachel Elizabeth Dare wasn't the one I wanted to be kissing.

"Well, finally the truth," Annabeth muttered.

"That was before you and I were together and she kissed me once. Once! And that was two summers ago. And as for Calypso…I left her island, Annabeth. I chose camp! I chose you! And what about Luke?"

Annabeth shook her head. "I can't believe you'd bring him up."

"You were in love him, Annabeth! You gave him more chances than he deserved. How many times did he almost have to kill you or me before you…"

"Stop!" Annabeth shouted. Her face was red. Her eyes were brimming with tears. "I've always trusted you, Percy. I still do. Just like I thought you trusted me."

"I do trust you," I said.

"With your life, yes. But clearly you don't trust me with your heart." She sighed. "I love you, Percy, but I can't do this. I'm happy here. I enjoy my job and I like going to school. I've never been able to say that before. And yes, I miss camp. And I miss you more than you'll know, but I need to do this for me. I've been at camp since I was seven years old. I'm ready to move on. I'm ready to grow up. Maybe you need to, too. Maybe we need to."

"What are you saying?" I asked.

She shook her head. "I don't know. But I have to go back to work."


	14. Chapter 14 - My 18th Birthday

**Chapter 14 – My 18****th**** Birthday**

The minute I drove up to the camp's borders, I felt like I wanted to sleep forever. I had, after all, been driving for two days. I had stopped just for a few hours and slept in my car in a Wal-Mart parking lot. I was exhausted.

I ditched my car by mile marker 3.1415 and trudged through the dark forest into camp. Thankfully nothing tried to eat me as I passed through. Even more fortunately, no one was awake when I exited the forest. I went straight to my cabin and flopped down on my bunk. I didn't even bother to change out my clothes. I just stared straight up at the ceiling. I didn't know where Annabeth and I stood. We hadn't exactly broken up, but I hadn't left on good terms either. I knew in my heart that nothing was really going on between her and that guy Josh, but seeing them together made my blood boil. I knew being apart from Annabeth was going to be hard, but I didn't think it was going to be this hard.

Even though all I wanted to do was sleep, I couldn't. Instead, I took my phone out of my pocket and pulled up a new text message to send to Annabeth. I typed 'I'm sorry.' I stared at the send button. I knew I should send it. I knew I was the one who had overreacted. Or had I? I mean, Annabeth wasn't exactly thrilled to see me. And she was the one who had changed. She was the one who didn't seem to care about camp anymore or our relationship. Why should I be the one who was sorry? I deleted the words I had typed.

I rolled onto my side and thought about if I should try a different tact. I typed in 'can we talk?' but then promptly erased that too. I didn't feel like talking. I felt like…well, like wallowing in my misery. I put the phone back into my pocket and decided that I was going to sleep on it. Maybe in the morning I'd be more level headed.

My plan didn't exactly work out. I wasn't any more level headed in the morning than I had been when I had finally fallen asleep. As matter of fact, I was probably even more miserable given the fact that I had only slept a few hours when I was awoken by some people sword fighting outside my cabin. I yelled at them to knock it off. I heard campers scatter, but the damage was done. I was awake. I pulled on a fresh pair of clothes and meandered my way to the mess hall.

"Hey," Harry said, standing next to me in line to get food. "Back from Arizona so soon? How was Annabeth?"

"I don't want to talk about it," I mumbled.

"What happened? Did you guys break up or something?"

Even if I had wanted to answer his question, I didn't have an answer. I just took my tray, dumped most of my oatmeal in the bronze brazier as a tribute to the gods, and then sat down alone at the Poseidon table. I spooned a few bites of oatmeal into my mouth and decided I wasn't hungry. As I stood up to leave, Chiron spotted me and trotted over.

"Percy!" He exclaimed. "I'm surprised to see you back so soon."

"Yeah, well, here I am," I answered sarcastically.

"How is Annabeth?"

"Having the time of her life," I said, the sarcasm still dripping from my voice. And Chiron knew it. Having worked with pre-teens and teenagers for most of his life, Chiron knew a moody teenager when he saw one. And I was the definition of a moody teenager.

"Is everything alright?" He asked a little more quietly so others couldn't overhear. "You know you can talk to me, Percy."

"Well, let's see…my girlfriend is across the country doing something she loves more than camp with a guy I don't trust while I'm stuck here at this stupid camp alone. So yeah, everything is just fine."

I took off. I knew I wasn't being fair to Chiron, but I was mad. At who or what I wasn't sure. I mean, I guess I was mad at Annabeth for going out to Phoenix in the first place. And I was definitely mad at Josh for being such a jackass. And I was mad at myself for acting the way I was acting.

Chiron opened his mouth to say something, but I didn't want to hear it. Instead I left my breakfast tray on the Poseidon table and made my way down to the lake. It was the only place I knew I could find some peace. I ran down the edge of the dock and stopped. I looked up at the sky. I knew my dad was up there somewhere. And I needed his help.

"Dad," I began. "If you're up there, can you like, give me a sign?"

I waited. Nothing.

"Ok, well, I could really use your advice. You know…guy to guy?"

Again nothing.

"You see, I have this girlfriend, Annabeth. I'm sure you already knew that. She's amazing. She's smart and pretty and she understands me, you know. We've been through a lot together. Well, she went off to pursue her dreams and everything and it's been tough not being together. And when I went out to visit her, I saw her with this other guy and I know nothing's going on between them, but I…I was jealous."

Woah. That was the first time I had ever said that word out loud. That's when I realized I wasn't so much talking to my dad as I was giving myself the pep talk I needed.

"And I think I'm a little jealous that she's out there doing what she loves. You know, I thought staying here at camp is what I love. I mean, I do love it here. Camp is like home to me. It is home. But maybe Annabeth's right. Maybe we're growing up and it's time to leave home. Maybe it's time I find my own place in the world like Annabeth did." I sighed. "I don't know. What should I do, dad?"

I wasn't really expecting a response. I doubted my dad was even listening. But then I heard a rustling in the lake and suddenly I noticed little waves happening, which was weird because the lake didn't have waves. The waves got bigger and bigger until the water was crashing onto the grass around the lake. I would have been getting soaked if not for the fact that I could keep myself dry. I didn't know what it all meant until something hit the dock next to my feet. Immediately the waves stopped. I knelt down to see what had been tossed ashore. It was a white camp bead, the same kind every camper got for every summer he or she went to camp. This one had a red painted heart on it. I guess that was my dad's message. Love. But I wasn't sure if love was enough.

As the days went on, things got a little easier for me around camp. I wasn't so mad all the time and I settled into a routine of sword fighting, rock climbing, and teaching the younger campers how not to fall off a Pegasus. I'm not saying I was happy, but I was content enough. Grover even came and visited for almost a month, which made the days go by much faster. And I had plenty of time to think about and plan my future.

The one thing that didn't happen was any communication with Annabeth. We didn't text, we didn't Iris message. It's like we were pretending the other person didn't exist. Chiron still got a message from her every few days so I knew she was ok. I had written out dozens of text messages to her, but had deleted them all. I wondered if she had done the same thing. After the first few days went by and then the days turned into weeks, it just seemed like too much time had passed. I hated to think about it, but maybe Annabeth and I weren't destined to be together after all.

As the summer came to an end, I found myself sitting on the edge of the dock. It was my birthday. Several campers had said 'Happy Birthday' to me in passing and my mom and Paul had sent me a nice birthday card. But I was sad. It felt wrong celebrating my birthday without Annabeth. I took my phone out of my pocket, expecting to see a birthday message from her, but there wasn't one. It pained me to think she had moved on.

"Happy Birthday, Seaweed Brain."

At first I thought I had imagined the voice, but then I turned and saw Annabeth standing in the grass at the edge of the dock. She was in her normal Jeans and orange Camp Half-Blood T-Shirt. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail and her feet were bare. She looked the same as she always did. Beautiful and strong. It was the way I always remembered her whenever I pictured her in my mind. She was holding a white box.

"What…what are you doing here?" I stammered, afraid that she was really a figment of my imagination. Maybe I had wanted to spend my birthday so badly with her that I had made her up in my head.

"I wanted to say Happy Birthday. And to give you these."

She made her way down the dock and sat down next to me. I noticed she kept more distance than usual between our bodies. She handed me the box.

"What is it?" I asked.

"The best cupcakes in Phoenix," she answered.

I opened the box. Two cupcakes with bright blue frosting and blue sprinkles were neatly sitting in the box.

"I hope they didn't get too squished on the plane."

"You flew all the way here just to give me cupcakes?" I asked.

"I…I didn't like how we left things," she answered.

"Me either."

We both paused. I don't think either of us knew what to say.

"I thought about texting you or sending you an Iris message a million times," she admitted quietly.

"Me too," I told her.

"Percy, I don't know what happened between us. I…I just want to say I'm sorry."

"I'm the one who should be apologizing."

She shook her head. "No, you were right."

"About what?"

"About Josh," she said quietly.

"What do you mean?"

She didn't answer me right away and I knew whatever she was about to tell me wasn't easy for her. I didn't press. I just waited for her to find the right words.

"A few days ago, Josh and I were working late on a project at the firm. He tried to kiss me."

"He what?" I burst out. I had the sudden urge to ring the guy's neck.

"I pushed him away before he could. I mean, I really pushed him. Hard."

"Good," I said.

"I explained to him that what he was trying to do wasn't appropriate and that I wasn't interested. I told him that you and I were still together."

Just hearing her say those words gave me hope.

"I knew that guy was a jerk," I said under my breath.

"Yeah, especially because he tried it again the next day. He cornered me after an office meeting."

"Now I really want to kill him," I stated.

"Don't worry. I did more than push him that time."

I raised an eyebrow. "Did you hurt him?"

"Let's just say he found out that I carry a knife with me at all times."

I smiled. "What happened next?"  
"I stormed into my boss's office and told him exactly what was going on. They fired Josh immediately. They said they had a zero tolerance policy for any kind of harassment in the world place."

"Good."

"You were right about him," Annabeth said. "I should have trusted your instincts. I should have…"

"No. I should have trusted you," I corrected. "I should have realized that even if the guy was a jerk that you would do the right thing."

"I never had feelings for him, Percy. And nothing ever happened. I swear to you. He really was just a friend."  
I sighed. "I know."

"I don't know how things got so messed up," Annabeth admitted.

"Me either."

We sat in silence for a few minutes and I couldn't help but notice she shifted a little closer to me.

"Annabeth…" I said.

"Percy…" she said at the same time.

We both laughed awkwardly.

"You go," I prompted.

"I'm not going back," she stated.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not going back to Phoenix. I told my bosses that I was leaving the program."

"But you were really enjoying it there," I said.

"It wasn't worth what I had to give up."

"Annabeth, I never wanted this to happen. I don't want you to quit because of me."

She shook her head. "It's not just you, Percy. I did love it there. I loved working as a real architect. I love being around people who love building as much as I do. But I also missed this. Nobody there knew who I really was. I couldn't talk to anybody about centaurs or cyclopi or the fact that my mother is the Goddess of Wisdom. This is my home, Percy. Here with you. If you'll take me back, that is."

She said the last part in barely a whisper.

"Well, that's going to be really difficult." I could see her eyes darken. I put my hand on her arm reassuringly. "Because I'm starting college in Phoenix in a few weeks."

"Wait…what?"

"I started thinking about what you said. How we all have to grow up. And I realized that I do want to be here in the summers to help kids who are just learning how to be a half-blood. But I also need to have my own life. I need to do something else."

"So what do you want to do?"

"I want to be a teacher."

"A teacher? You?"

"I know. It sounds crazy. I can barely read or sit still, but that's exactly why I want to do it. I want to help other kids. Not just half-bloods. There are so many kids out there who have dyslexia or ADHD or other learning disabilities who aren't half-bloods. I want to help them. I want to be a special educator or maybe a school counselor or something. I don't have it all figured out yet, but I did apply to the Arizona State University and I got it."

Tears began swimming in Annabeth's eyes. I wasn't sure if they were happy or sad tears.

"So you were willing to move to Phoenix for me?" She asked.

I shrugged. "It's not like it's a big deal."

She flung her arms around my neck and kissed me hard on the lips. It didn't take long for me to melt into the kiss. It had been way too long since I had felt her lips and tasted her. She was better than I remembered.

"Wow," I said when we parted.

"I've missed that," she replied.

"Me too."

She pressed her forehead against mine. I could feel her breath against my nose. I wanted to stay like that with her forever.

"But now we have a problem," she whispered.

"What?" I asked.

She pulled away from me so she could look me in the eye.

"I just quit the program in Phoenix."

"So I'm moving across the country to be with you and you're coming home to be with me?" I asked.

She nodded. For some reason, we both found this to be incredibly hysterical. We locked eyes and just started laughing. Annabeth rested her head on my shoulder as our laughter rang over the lake.

We didn't know what we were going to do, but somehow this was the best birthday ever.

Author's Note: Thanks for sticking with me! I know it's been a while since I've posted. With it being the end of the school year, life is getting pretty busy. There's only one more chapter left so stay tuned!


	15. Chap 15 - Annabeth & I Start Our Future

**Chapter 15 – Annabeth and I Start Our New Future**

Two weeks after Annabeth and I reunited at camp on my birthday, I was taking the last box out of my car to my new dorm room. I walked into the small room that had two single beds, two desks, two closets and a whole bunch of boxes strewn around on one side of the room. They were all mine. I hadn't met my roommate yet. I had to admit that I was a little nervous about that. Aside from Tyson, my half-brother, I had never had a roommate in all of my years at camp. I didn't know how I would get along with someone I didn't know, but that's what college was all about. At least that's what my mom said.

I sat down on my plastic mattress. I decided the first thing I should unpack would be my sheets. I started rummaging through a box, looking for my bedding, when I heard someone come in the room. It was a sandy-haired boy whose hair was so long it touched his shoulders. He was a little shorter than me and had a big smile on his face. He was carrying a large duffle bag over his shoulder.

"You must be Percy," he said.

"Yeah, I am. And you're Roger?"

"In the flesh."

He reached out and shook my hand. He had a good, strong grip.

"It's nice to meet you," I said. "I guess we're roommates."

"Guess so. Where are you from?" He asked, putting the duffle bag on his bed.

"New York," I answered. "You?"

"Maine."

"What are you here to study?" I questioned awkwardly. I mean, what did you say to a guy you barely knew, but would be living with for the next eight months?

"Biology," he answered. "At least for my undergrad. I want to study in jungles and rainforests around the world. Find new species and things."

"That's cool."

"What about you?"

"Education," I answered. "I want to be a teacher and help kids." When I said it out loud, it seemed a little lame, but I was glad I had finally picked a path in what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

"That's cool." Roger said. "You like video games?"

I shrugged. "Haven't played much."

"Well, then I'll show you everything I know."

I smiled. I liked this guy. I had a feeling we'd get along pretty well.

"And I can teach you how to sword fight," I said without really thinking that that wasn't exactly a normal activity.

"Seriously? He said. "Cool."

"Need some help moving in?" I asked, ready to change the topic.

"Nope, this is all I got," he said, flopping down next to the duffle bag and patting it gently. I looked around at all of the boxes I brought in. My mom insisted that I bring almost everything I owned, just in case. And of course Riptide was safe in my pocket.

We heard some girls giggling in the hallway. They walked by our open door. One of the girls with short blond hair in a pixie cut paused for a moment and gave us a wink before catching up with her friends.

Roger whistled.

"Sure are a lot of cute girls here," he said. "Heard there's some kind of activities fair later this afternoon. Maybe we can check it out and meet a few of them."

"I'll check out the fair with you," I said. "But I won't be looking at any girls."

"Oh, that's cool with me," he replied.

I thought his response was a little weird and then I realized he thought I wasn't interested in girls. Which was totally fine, but that wasn't me.

"No," I quickly said. "I like girls. I just have a girlfriend already."

"Oh. Does she go here with you?"

I shook my head. "No. But she is in Phoenix. She's doing a special work program in downtown."

"Sounds cool."

"Yeah."

"Too bad you'll be missing out, though."

"On what?" I asked.

"On the girls, of course. College is supposed to be about finding yourself. I wouldn't want to be tied down."

"Believe me," I said. "We've been apart. I didn't like it much. And I've spent enough time finding myself. And I'm not tied down. Annabeth is…"

"Did I hear my name?" Annabeth asked as she walked into the room. She was wearing a pretty yellow sundress, her hair falling freely to the middle of her back. I didn't get to see Annabeth dressed up too often so this made me smile. The pizza box she was holding in her hands made me smile a little wider.

"Roger, meet my girlfriend Annabeth. Annabeth, meet my new roommate Roger."

Annabeth put the pizza box down on my desk and shook Roger's hand.

"Nice to meet you," she said.

"Trust me, the pleasure's all mine," he replied, holding onto her hand a little longer than I would have liked.

Annabeth and I had driven to Phoenix together over the last few days. It was the best road trip ever. We ate junk food and sang along to bad music on the radio. After spending so much time apart, it was nice that we got to spend so much time together. After my birthday, Annabeth had called her boss's and asked for her job back. They were delighted to have her. It suddenly felt like things were aligning with the universe. We would be back in the same city at the same time, both pursuing our dreams. As I unpacked the car, Annabeth had walked to the pizza place on campus to get us some food.

"Do you guys have any plates or napkins or anything?" Annabeth asked, looking around at all of the boxes.

"We don't need napkins," I said, opening the top of the pizza box. The pepperoni and cheese smelled delicious.

Annabeth rolled her eyes and mumbled something about 'boys.' She disappeared out of the room, clearly on a mission to find napkins.

"Dude," Roger said. "She's hot."

"Yeah, she is. Do you want some pizza?"

Roger stepped up and took a piece. I started chowing down.

"How long have you two been going out?" Roger asked, his piece mostly gone in one bite.

"Ah…well, we've been friends since we were twelve. But we've been dating for about two years."

"Did you go to school together?"

"No. We met at…at summer camp."

Roger raised an eyebrow. Summer camp as a high schooler sounded immature, but Roger had no idea just what kind of summer camp it was.

"If I knew I could find a girl like that at summer camp, I'd go," he said, reaching for another piece of paper. I gobbled down my second piece as well. Annabeth returned to the room with a stack of paper towels that it looked like she had gotten from the girls' bathroom. She looked at the half-eaten pizza.

"Geez, save some for me," she said, taking a piece and putting it on one of the napkins she had brought. She handed Roger and me a napkin apiece, but we didn't really use them.

"So Annabeth," Roger said. What are you studying?"

As Annabeth went into an explanation of how much she loved architecture, I simply watched her and listened. I loved that she was so passionate about what she was doing. And sitting there, with my new roommate and the girl I loved, I was pretty sure that I had made the right choice coming to Phoenix.

A few hours later, I had driven Annabeth back to her campus. It was a little different experience for her considering she had already done a year at the college. She lived in a dormitory of just girls where she had her own room. All the girls on her floor shared a common area. There was a ping pong table, a pool table, and a really nice kitchen that they all got to use. It was pretty cool. And I'm not going to lie, I was pretty happy that she was surrounded by all girls. I mean, I knew I could trust Annabeth, but still.

"So," she said, opening the door to her room. "This is it."

I walked inside Annabeth's room. It was small, but it was very Annabeth. Her bed was pushed against the wall and had a grey blanket over it that had the skyline of New York in black at the bottom. There was a slanted drafting table next to her bed, covered in pictures and drawings. Photographs were strung up on white string and multi-colored clips around the walls. Some of the pictures were of buildings. Others were of Annabeth's friends like Grover and Thalia and some of her half-siblings from camp. There were a few photos of her dad and her little brothers. Even her step-mother was in a photograph. But the most photographs were of me and her together. Some of them I hadn't even realized had been taken. Some were action shots with me and Annabeth in full armor or running through the woods as we played capture the flag. Others were candid moments of the two of us standing close together or smiling at each other.

"Ashley Garcia," she said.

"What?"

"The unclaimed half-blood that works for Chiron in The Big House," she continued. "She really likes photography. She would take pictures of everything and everyone at camp. She gave me a few of the photos when I moved out here at the end of last summer."

"Wow," I replied. "I never realized she took photographs."

"Me either. I don't even think anyone realizes she's doing it. But I'm glad she did."

She took my hand and squeezed it. That's when I noticed the Christmas present I had given Annabeth. The photograph of us at the beach on Coney Island that I had given to her in the New York City frame. It was on a small table next to her bed. At the beginning of the summer I had accused Annabeth of not having that picture on her desk at work. I hadn't even stopped to consider that she would have it in her room.

"I'm sorry," I said.

"About what?" Annabeth asked, having no idea where my train of thought had taken me.

"For the argument we had last time I was here in Phoenix. For thinking something was going on between you and Josh. For not trusting you."

She took my hand. "It's ok, Percy. We've talked it all out. We both have pasts with people we could have ended up with. But we chose each other. We love each other. And if it weren't for those moments in the past, I don't think we'd be here right now. So I think we should say thank you to Rachel and Calypso and even Luke and Josh because they all brought us here."

"You're brilliant, you know that?" I said.

She smiled and led me by the hand over to the bed. We sat down beside each other.

"I'm really glad you're here, Percy."

"I think I'm going to like it here."

"I think I'm going to like having you here."  
She leaned over and kissed me. It started slowly, but grew pretty fast to a full-fledged kiss. Before too long, Annabeth had laid down on the bed and I was basically on top of her. She had one hand buried in my hair and the other roaming my back. It felt really good to be with her again. I mean, really good. I remembered the last time we had really made out like this. It was Christmas at my mom's apartment. Back then she had said she wasn't ready, which I totally respected. But the way she was kissing me on her bed, things seemed a little different.

"Annabeth," I whispered as her lips attacked my neck. Gods, I loved when she did that.

"It's ok," she said quietly.

I sat up a little, wanting to make sure I was hearing her.

"Are…are you sure?" I asked.

"Yes."

I looked into her eyes. They were sparkling grey. But more than that, they were confident and strong. She didn't look scared or intimidated or worried.

"Because if you want to stop, I…"

"I know," she said. "I love you, Seaweed Brain."

"I love you, Wise Girl."

I kissed her, pouring every ounce of love I had into that kiss and I knew we were both right where we belonged.

Author's Note: Thank you for reading and I'm sorry for the long delay! This may be the last chapter, but I do have an idea for a sequel. I haven't written anything yet, but the ideas are definitely circulating so stay tuned. Thanks again for sticking with me!


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